Black Friday: a day of shopping mayhem in which people get trampled for the sale on that LED 70-inch TV. A few years back, retail employees had the luxury to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with their families and loved ones while returning to work for this outrageous holiday the next day. In recent times, Black Friday and Thanksgiving have merged into one, creating a "Black Thanksgiving." While American citizens used to grab their wallets and head out once their plates were cleared and leftovers were stored, you can now catch them having their Thanksgiving meal while in line at Best Buy. A holiday created by our ancestors as an occasion to give thanks for what they have is now a consumerist ritual to shop for things that you don’t even need.

I used to work retail for about four years. The reason I quit was when I worked my last black Friday ever; It was a 24-hour shift. I had never been more exhausted at any other point in my life than I was that day. I had no sleep whatsoever and drank about every energy drink in sight. I was basically running on fumes. What people fail to realize is that these deals will still be there the next day and the next day, and the day after that. It’s more convenient to shop from your computer while stuffing your face with turkey at home or even waiting until cyber Monday. It’s unfair for store employees to deal with hundreds of shoppers-turned-zombies. Yes, retail employees choose to work at these stores, and yes, they most likely knew in advance what they were getting themselves into, but hey, they at least have jobs and have the same right as everyone else to enjoy their holiday. I believe it is very anti-American for these establishments to open on Thanksgiving Day, and if you go shopping on this day, you are part of the problem.

Sure, capitalism is great, but family is greater, and maybe this Thanksgiving, you should give thanks that you don’t work retail.