Drudge’s headlines about Black Friday 2010 raise disturbing questions about America’s purpose as a nation.
We degrade ourselves for deals on crap some puppet-master tells us we cannot live without. In the name of Christ’s birth, we reveal ourselves with headlines like “Craze shoppers stampede,” “Marine stabbed,” “Shopper arrested after packing gun,” “Mall food court placed on lockdown,” “Shopper arrested…raging,” “Police called after thousands rush,” “Woman busted.”
We rush Toys-R-Us doors–angry, armed, and belligerent–because our society is grossly disordered. And society is nothing but us.
That should give us all pause.
Let’s stand down from politics for a bit. Between now and Christmas, let’s examine our relationship to stuff. In Zen Conservatism I wrote about the dangers of accumulating crap. Physical, emotional, mental, whatever. We need a break.
Let’s set a goal for ourselves and our society: that Black Friday 2011 be a day of happiness and joy.