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Kaylyn Logue
Mr. Munoz
English D.C., Per. 5
9 December 2014
Argument Paper 2nd Draft
THESIS: Black Friday is harming people.
Thanksgiving is a day where the house is filled with delicious smells of food, as well as
the laughter of families spending time together. However, this Thanksgiving reputation has
changed due to Black Friday. Families are no longer sitting around the table sharing memories of
past holidays, and then sitting on the couch watching football. Instead, families are being split up
- some members are forced to go deal with mayhem of Black Friday, while others are joining in
the chaos. This shows that Black Friday is harming both shoppers, as well as department store
workers and their families.
If these are met a higher salary is deserved, if not a higher salary is not needed.
Military meet standard high risk job
Just a couple
Black Friday is starting earlier and earlier each year. Paula Kerrigan, TITLE, explains
that the title of this holiday is deceiving since it is no longer beginning on Friday, but
Thursday. Gander Mountain, Radio Shack, and K-Mart are all starting early Thursday morning.
Toys R Us, JCPennys, and Macys sales begin before the clock strikes midnight on Thursday
(Kerrigan). However, people argue that having Black Friday begin on Thursday is more
beneficial because there is more time to shop. According to Dave Jamieson, TITLE, claims that
if Black Friday is not controlled, it will soon be known as Black Thursday. Although people

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spending money may help the economy, there are other ways to improve it. The article, "10
Reasons Black Friday Is Awful and Needs to Go Away," argues that Cyber Week, specifically
Cyber Monday, provides just as many deals, if not better than Black Friday (10 Reasons).
Louis Ramirez, TITLE, also shows the benefit of shopping during Cyber Week by explaining
that shipping has also become less expensive since the United States Postal Service slashed
shipping costs for select businesses by up to 58% (Ramirez). This allows people to help boost
the economy, while still allowing them to spend time with their families on Thanksgiving a
real holiday. "10 Reasons Black Friday Is Awful and Needs to Go Away" argues that the there is
also plenty of time twenty-seven days to be exact between Thanksgiving and Christmas to
hold sales (10 Reasons). Janelle Griffith, TITLE , spoke with Steven Pressman, an economics
and finance professor at Monmouth University. He stated, If the store doesn't open on that
Thursday, will that same consumer be there on Friday, Saturday or Sunday? Probably so. Bed
Bath & Beyond and Dillards, for example, are two of the few stores who did not cross the line
of opening their stores on Thanksgiving (Griffith). "10 Reasons Black Friday Is Awful and
Needs to Go Away" proves that Black Friday is not as beneficial as it claims to be since some of
the exact same sales are offered weeks before and after Black Friday (10 Reasons). Stores also
typically mark down prices right after Christmas as well. This shows that Black Friday deals are
not that rare (10 Reasons). Black Fridays one true benefit low prices is not worth missing
out on family time.
When Black Friday comes around, department stores are focused on the potential
shoppers to fill their stores, not their employees. Jamieson clarifies how great of an impact Black
Friday has on department store workers, as well as the workers families. Workers are given
small increases in pay (if any) when working on Black Friday (Jamieson). Kathryn Brenzel,

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TITLE , explains that Walmart employees, for example, are forced to leave their families on
Thanksgiving for $10.40 an hour family time is worth more than that. The poor working
conditions that these employees endure is known by the numerous protests that were held on
Black Friday. Wal-Mart employees boycotted all over America this Black Friday. In North
Bergen, around 300 people protested Wal-Marts low pay (Brenzel). Jamieson argues that
department stores try to defend working on Black Friday by claiming that employees volunteer
to work during Black Friday. However, if there are not enough volunteers, department stores will
then force their employees to work this is what happened at Banana Republic in New York. An
unnamed employee stated, he wouldnt be surprised if a manager asked him to come in if they
dont get enough volunteers (Jamieson). In Griffiths interview with Pressman he also pointed
out that, "If one store opens earlier, it might be able to steal some Christmas business. Then
others will start opening earlier, and pretty soon all of the stores are open on Thanksgiving"
(Griffith). Jamieson explains that target employees, for the first time ever, had to work on
Thanksgiving this year because of this rivalry (Jamieson). This proves that Black Friday is
destroying a familys time together because of business owners greediness.
Department store commercials show Black Friday shoppers with large smiles on their
faces while pushing a cart full of products to their cars. However, what exactly did those
shoppers have to go through in order to make it out of the stores with those gifts? Most
commercials fail to show the actual events that occur in their stores on Black Friday most of
the events that end in injuries. Black Friday injuries have become more common throughout the
years people are becoming savages simply for a good deal. A CBS News article, "Woman Shot
in Chicago Department Store Dies of Injuries," informs that a womans enraged ex-boyfriend in
Chicago went to the make-up counter at Nordstorms where she was working on Black Friday

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and shot her and himself. You Li, a Nordstorm shopper, stated that, The staff just said to just
run theres an emergency. This proves that there is no security, and a lack of procedure during
Black Friday making it dangerous (Woman shot). According to the article, Black Friday
Death Count, a man shopping on Black Friday in Virginia, was stabbed over an argument last
year. The man lost his life over a parking spot. The chaos of Black Friday is also extending
outside of the United States. In the United Kingdom this Black Friday, a woman broke her wrist
and hurt her head because of a fight over a discounted television. Black Friday is also having an
effect on shoppers after they leave the store. In 2013, a teen was killed after dozing off while
driving she had just finished participating in Black Friday shopping. From 2006 to 2014 there
have been 7 deaths and 97 reported injuries because of Black Friday madness (Black Friday).
This proves that Black Friday not only has poor working conditions, but as well as dangerous
shopping conditions.
Hundreds of shoppers wait outside department stores for the Black Friday deals to begin.
After waiting hours for the store to open, shoppers frustrations rise when they discover that the
item they waited for is sold out ("10 Reasons). Ramirez explains that although many stores
claim they will give doorbusters to all those who wait in line, this is not a promise that they can
keep for every customer. Doorbusters are desired products for most customers because of their
low prices. However, most customers will not receive these items because there is a small
quantity of doorbusters. Some stores claim to give a special item to those who wait in line by
giving them a small token, such as a wristbands. The customers will then receive the item, but
not right away (Ramirez). Billy Hallowell argues that fights also begin over other items such as
televisions and tablets. However, the fighting does not end there: some shoppers go to the extent
of fighting over small gifts, such as lingerie (Hallowell). Black Friday shoppers are out of

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control; they are acting like children fighting over the last piece of candy.
A solution to Black Friday can be summed up in two words: blue laws. Alexander
Kaufman explains that blue laws were originally made to encourage "people to go to church on
Sunday and holidays." However, since these laws were designed in the colonial era, there are
only three state that abide by them: Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island. By having blue
laws, families are not rushing to go shopping, and employees are not forced to go into work on
Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, since only three states have laws forbidding Black
Friday from starting on Thanksgiving, John B. Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of
Massachusetts, asks the question, "Are Massachusetts blue laws stopping consumers from
shopping? Or are they just stopping them from shopping in Massachusetts?"
(Kaufman). However, if blue laws were enforced in all states, society would be able to see the
true meaning of the fourth Thursday of November - to be thankful for all the many blessings in
their life.
Thanksgiving allows families to forget about their busy schedules filled with work,
obligations, and worries. Instead of giving thanks on Thanksgiving, people are being harmed and
fighting each other over low priced items. Although people may save hundreds of dollars
because of the Black Friday deals, the chaos cannot be overlooked because of it.

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Works Cited
"10 Reasons Black Friday Is Awful and Needs to Go Away." Business Insurance Quotes.
Business Insurance Quotes, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
"Black Friday Death Count." Black Friday Death Count. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Brenzel, Kathryn. "Hundreds Protest Black Friday, Retail Wages at North Bergen Walmart."
NJ.com. NJ Advanced Media, 28 Nov. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Griffith, Janelle. "Black Friday 2014: Have Thanksgiving Day Deals Ruined a Retail Tradition?"
NJ.com. N.p., 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Hallowell, Billy. "Ill Kill You!: Black Friday Chaos Rages With Violent Clashes Over
Lingerie, a Police Taser and More." The Blaze. The Blaze, 28 Nov. 2014. Web. 08 Dec.
2014.
Jamieson, Dave. "Black Friday Creep Costs Retail Workers Their Thanksgiving." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
Kaufman, Alexander C. "Black Friday Shoppers Can't Start On Thanksgiving In 3 States." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 Nov. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.
Kerrigan, Paula. "Black Friday 2014 Store Hours." Dealnews. N.p., 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 07 Dec.
2014.
Ramirez, Louis. "13 Ways Black Friday 2014 Will Be Different." Dealnews. Dealnews, 06 Oct.
2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
"Woman Shot in Chicago Department Store Dies of Injuries." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 29
Nov. 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.