Protest the Black Friday Petitioners!

Lot’s of news regarding the petition started by a worker at Target and supported by over 100,000 others protesting the opening of Target, Best Buy, Macy’s et al at midnight Thanksgiving night in preparation for Black Friday, instead of the usual 3 AM - 6 AM openings that have plagued Black Friday’s past.  These petitioners are outraged by the mere thought of workers having to show up at 11 PM Thanksgiving night, claiming this hardship would ruin what is supposed to be a day spent with family.

I for one, am firmly against these petitioners.  In fact, I may have to start my own petition, in opposition to these petitioners (it’s all got a very PCU-feel to it, doesn’t it).  My reasons are the following:

• People who are petitioning Target and other retail stores to push back their openings to 5 AM are ruining a perfectly good excuse for workers at these establishments to get away from their families.  In an age where family gatherings are more and more stressful for the majority of society, any valid excuse to leave early, or avoid them entirely should be celebrated, not protested.  With the dread of spending time with family during the holidays, some people welcome this call of duty to help them get away- don’t take this perfect excuse away from them. 
• In addition, with unemployment as high as it is, many of these workers are thankful just to have a job.  In the grand scheme of things, what is going to help their family more- 2 more hours with them on a miserable Thanksgiving, where they get to “be thankful” about all that they don’t have, or actually going to work, to earn more money to support these very families.  These petitioners are trying to take money out of the pockets of the elements of society who needs it most!  And if these workers in fact don’t need the money, and feel that strongly about showing up at work at 11 PM, they are more than welcome to continue to spend time with their family, and find another job.
• These very petitioners who are aiming to push back the opening times of these retail stores will likely be the same ones who are there, lined up outside for hours beforehand hoping to get the latest deal.  In fact, they will most likely be starting vicious rumors about a pushed back start time so there will be fewer people there at midnight!
• Lastly, the vast majority of Thanksgiving celebrations are over long before these workers would actually be going to work.  In fact, if a family is still in the middle of their Thanksgiving feast when one of these workers would need to be leaving for their job, these families are contributing to the obesity epidemic in the USA, as eating late at night leads to weight gain.

Join me in urging these petitioners to get in a life through a method they are sure to understand- another petition, and let these workers work!