Seasons Greetings?

Pepper spray to get ... a video game? A bloodied grandfather trying to protect his grandson from being trampled but instead, arrested for shoplifting. (Never mind the question of what he was thinking bringing a preschooler to such a crazy environment.) Who would have thought the geriatric friendly Walmart greeter could morph into a pepper spray- armed riot control combatant? These are not even the questions we should be asking, although they are the first to mind. The same media organizations that profit (greatly) from the advertising creating such melees cover the "news" they have had a hand in creating. What important topics aren't covered, crowded out by photos and gory details of consumerism run amok? Apparently the death of a security man in 2008 taught us something? And even these are not the real questions. What has happened to our society that values mere "stuff" so much that we risk life and limb of not just ourselves but others. I can think of nothing in any store I want or need that would be worth a parking lot robbery, harming my grandchild or pepper spraying the competition -- known on any other day as my friend or neighbor. Can't you just hear the joyful exclamations under the shining tree on Christmas morning... "Mom, I'm so glad you knocked down that nice lady and punched someone's uncle to get me this....what is this anyway?" Most shocking is those who look forward to the chaos. This year I heard more than person say how much fun Black-Friday shopping is, the excitement, the Christmas spirit? What?! But honestly, what can we do? Not participate in black Friday-turned-blacker-thursday night, for one. I don't think for a moment that idea will catch on. What we can do is stop enjoying it.