Black Friday Disgust

I feel for retailers this year. Really I do. The economy is going to impact their bottom line in significant ways this year and that will ultimately result in more people not working. It is not a good year for many businesses. But the excitement that most of the major retailers tried to drum up this year has made me ill and so has the greed-crazed crowds that rushed stores at O-Dark-Thirty, when the stores opened their doors.

These retailers planned, strategized and concocted ways to entice crowds of people to come shop at their store on Black Friday. They advertise amazing deals with amazingly small quantities to drum up a frenzy in the hearts of shoppers. But its a two-way street, isn't it. Those retailers KNOW that when it comes down to it, ugly greed will course through the veins of their fellow humans. They will do anything to beat out their neighbor and grab up that deal before someone else does.

This 37 second video is an example of the store-opening-rush:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6fq1bvdLGI

At Walmart in Long Island New York, a greeter was killed as crowds rushed in. A Toys R Us in Palm Beach had a shooting that resulted in two deaths. All for some Must Have Thing.

I am utterly disgusted.

No need to feel bad if you got up at 4:00 AM and made it to the 1/2 off sock sale at Freddies or whatever. Chances are that YOU TOO were disgusted by the bahavior you may have witnessed in your fellow man. I don't like to make big statements that have the words "always" or "never" in them because they tend to come back to haunt you, but I am completely turned off of Black Friday Shopping. I'd rather pay full price with a clear head and no gunfire.

Barack at Breakfast

It was an interesting conversation at the breakfast table with Davis when I told him that Obama won the election. We do not talk much politics (or any at all, yet) around the kids but Davis was aware of the election because a few small conversations happened at school yesterday and plus they had a chance to vote at school yesterday. (Obama won that election, too.)

It really is an interesting line to walk with the kids, when we do not like the authority placed above us… a new kind of example to set, a new layer of life’s complexities to reveal. If you would permit me to look on the bright side for a moment, these next four to eight years should be full of good parenting opportunities.

The Lord has allowed this man to be in authority over us whether we like it or not. It is important that we not praise this man and it is important - I believe - that we not show outright disrespect for him either. Even more critical, it is appropriate that our school-aged kid understand a small bit of why we did not vote for him. He will, afterall, be in the position to defend his beliefs at school today and in the future as well (he revealed to me that he voted for McCain because "he doesn't think killing babies is ok, and Naddy voted for him because she felt sorry for him because he was a soldier prisoner"). I tried my best to prepare him for conversations he might have at school that could lead him to show respectful disagreement. We talked about one good thing (first black president and the significance of that) and one bad thing (supportive of abortion) about Barack being our next president.

A seven-year-old mind can only grasp so much when it comes to politics but one thing he can grasp onto with great strength is how we, as parents, respond to an authority over our lives with which we disagree strongly. He can watch us pray for this man, he can watch what it looks like to disagree with an authority yet still show him respect, and he can watch us distinguish when we are to go against human authority (when that human authority asks or demands us to sin against God) and when it is appropriate to obey that authority.

I ended the conversation, telling him that "Two things are for sure, Davis:

• God knew a long time ago that Obama would be our President. God was not the least bit surprised at the election results.
• And God is still God. He is still in total control. So we can trust Him no matter what."

"I KNEW you were going to say that!" He responded.

My November 4th "ah ha" Moment

Still stricken with grief over McCain winning the Republican nomination over Mike Huckabee, I have wondered often what a "good prolife voter" ought to do:

• Abstain from voting (i.e. turn off my brain on this one)
• Write in Huckabee (would it be throwing away my vote or standing on principle - or both?)
• Vote for Palin/McCain (I do generally like her politics from top to bottom - experienced or not)
• Vote for Obama (at least he will end the war and maybe protect us from our country's devastating financial practices, so he says)

Tonight, after reading a very informative and helpful post by Randy Alcorn, I now know what I am going to do. I encourage you to spend a minute looking over this post, especially if you have found yourself, like me, struggling with what is the right thing to do in this election.

And no, I am not going to tell you how I am voting. But jumping over to Randy's blog will be all the hint you need, if curiosity gets the better of you!!