Friday, November 28, 2008

It Was A Black Friday After All -- Death in Long Island

This day, the day after Thanksgiving, is one that quite a few people here in America use to shop for gifts and things for Christmas. At least that is what the idea is. Merchants use this day to gauge how holiday sales will be for the season. People will camp out up to two days before to be able to buy cheap electronics, toys, and what have you. It is also a day in which people become something other than human when it comes to bargain shopping.

I haven't been on the computer much for the last couple of days, but when I checked the news stories I was horrified to hear of a Walmart worker dying this morning in Long Island, New York.

The 34-year-old employee, a temporary maintenance worker, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m.

Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.

"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too...I literally had to fight people off my back."

The unidentified victim was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m., police said.

Not only were the two Walmart workers involved, but a pregnant woman was trampled and had to be taken to the hospital as well.

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was knocked to the floor during the mad rush. She was hospitalized for observation, police said. Early witness accounts that the woman suffered a miscarriage were unfounded, police said.

There is a video showing efforts to resusitate the man. I am including it here in this post.



It is a sad thing indeed when greed, greed for the best bargain around is the one thing we exhibit instead of the giving and caring nature we should be showing. I will be praying for this man's family, for the loss they are facing, and will continue to face. I would ask that everyone do the same.

You can read the entire story here.

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