By now I’m sure everyone has heard of Walmart employee Jdimytai Damour who was crushed to death early Friday morning by a stampede of crazed shoppers. One does not even know what to say about such a senseless death.
Mob psychology aside, this appalling event is indicative of a much larger problem in this country. Thousands of people lined up all over the nation to buy things they don’t need during a time of economic crisis. The corporate consumerist ethos has trickled down and made us sick with greed. A man is dead because people wanted $50 off a tv! And stores set up this mayhem by advertising “extremely limited quantities” and “special prices from 5-8am”. The Long Island Walmart where Mr. Damour was killed was reportedly reopened by 1pm on the same day and again filled with shoppers. Not even a day to mourn? If folks weren’t already boycotting Walmart, this seems like an excellent time to start.
Performance artist/activist Reverend Billy is doing some excellent work in this area. I urge folks to check out his documentary What Would Jesus Buy?. It seems especially timely this holiday season.