Please Shop On Thanksgiving.

I’ve finally seen enough of those posts yelling at me, or Kmart, or businesses in general for daring to suggest that people shop on Thanksgiving. Frankly, I’ve about had it with those of you who feel you need to be in charge of directing how others should operate their life, family or business.

The general consensus of these social media posts is that Thanksgiving is a time for families and they shan’t dare open their stores lest family time be ruined.

How about people who don’t have any family around?  How about families who choose to celebrate the big day on Saturday allowing for travel time? How about those who just don’t give a darn about overeating, getting drunk or watching football? How about circulating some new memes that say things like “Shut off the TV and talk to the family.  Thanksgiving is not for football”.  Or how about the popular “Minimize family fighting.  Serve no alcohol this Thanksgiving”.  Just a couple other ideas.

Think about those people who are glad to pick up a shift on Thanksgiving — helps them buy some Christmas presents, maybe pay the heat bill.  The concept that everyone working on Thanksgiving is forced to do so by their Evil boss is quite inaccurate. Oh, I’m sure some would rather not work. but even those who do won’t work from morning till night and will have plenty of opportunity to join the family if they so choose.

Kmart has been opening on Thanksgiving for many years.  Kmart and Sears told news media this year that employees working on the holiday have all volunteered to do so, and are receiving additional holiday pay.

Maybe some families think it is fun to spend the day shopping rather than watching football?  Ever think of that?  Makes for a nice family outing. How about the people who have jobs that are on duty year ’round? In my work in broadcasting I worked every Thanksgiving for decades, because radio stations don’t shut down for holidays. Same for my wife, the nurse. The list of workers in jobs that never close is pretty long. But yet all those people still get to celebrate Thanksgiving if they choose.

I suggest that if you like, get out there and shop.  Pump some bucks into the economy and help the retailers turn a profit this year. Or, if you don’t want to, don’t. But for Pete’s sake stop posting all those “don’t wreck family time” memes on the internet.  I personally know of two Thanksgivings where “family time” turned into drinking, fighting and the breakup of families.  Yippee for forced togetherness!  Perhaps the day should be spent teaching the kids in the family the truth about Thanksgiving.  How it’s often marked as a day of mourning among Native Americans.  How the traditional celebration the white man perpetuates is complete fantasy.

It’s not a religious holiday, either. To my knowledge no one’s God ever said “take the day off and eat and give thanks”.

So, go shopping if you like.