At Wal-Mart

Those men and women hungry for bargains on Black Friday can sure kill the holiday spirit.

The New York Daily News reports that 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour, a (temporary) maintenance worker, was trampled to death after a Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream, N.Y. store opened at 5:00 a.m. the morning after Thanksgiving. One employee described the victim as "bum-rushed by 200 people" while "they took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me." Employees unsuccessfully tried to save the victim and contain the rioters, some of whom, when told they had to leave the store, reportedly kept shopping while screaming "I've been on line since Friday morning!"

Police arrived and the store was closed- till 1:00 p.m., when hundreds of shoppers were welcomed. A spokesman for the Nassau County (N.Y.) Police Department stated that an investigation would be conducted to determine whether anyone responsible for the death of Mr. Damour could be identified. He also commented that Wal-Mart had insufficient security on hand.

Perhaps the District Attorney's office might want to consider the possible culpability of the corporation in this affair. Meanwhile, we can lament yet another demonstration of the secularization, and commercialization, of Christmas, as noted by Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull here and here.