By SJ Otto

It's that time a year again. That is Black Friday. It is the one holiday of the holiday season the sums up American consumerism, capitalism and unadulterated greed. People spend hours in a line waiting for doors to open, then run into stores to wreck havoc and fight over junk they want to buy. 

It's hard to see what this day really has in common with Christmas. Some may be trying to buy gifts for their friends and relatives, but they are trying to save money and that is where the real greed kicks in. They are trying to give expensive gifts on the cheap.

Some people really like this day. They like the crowds, they like the adventure. But it doesn't really seem that much about charity and giving. That is what the fictional character Scrooge, of the short story  A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, was suppose to learn about Christmas....kindness, mercy and giving. four spirits taught Scrooge about those things. That lesson does not seem to be a part of people's lives today. Consumer society promotes expensive and trendy gifts. Retailers insist they must make a lot of money to keep their profits up. Christmas does have its "bell ringers" and other types of charity. But that is drowned out by consumers, commercialism and the quest for massive profits, from our corporate masters.

This year, as with past years, I will stay home on Black Friday, relax, drink a beer and watch my favorite TV shows. I will stay far away from the stores.