I wrote this last year, but given the wailing and mourning being done over Thanksgiving shopping hours, it bears updating and repeating.
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I swear, not even Chicken Little lost his shit this badly when he thought the sky was falling, but with article after article appearing decrying how stores are "robbing" employees of their holidays, you would think Armageddon is upon us.

Just stop it.
Your indignation is faux at best, and seriously cherry picked at worst.
Yes, retail outlets are one by one announcing they will now be opening earlier than midnight after you have gutbombed your turkey and pumpkin pie. Yes, that means those stores must be staffed. Yes, that means some employees won't get to indulge in a blessed food coma or political repuke vs libtard family lovefest around the fire.
And you know what? That's fine. It is the nature of the beast of retail to extend hours, offer special deals, and do whatever it damned well pleases on holidays. And if you don't like it, DON'T GO.
See how easy that is? Say it with me: DON'T GO.
But don't get your ass in a knot about it like these stores are doing something unprecedented, morally obscene, or repugnant. They aren't.
I have watched my Facebook feed and comment board after comment board fill up with wrongteous indignation about stores daring to open on Thanksgiving. "I won't shop there ever again!!!" "How dare they rob families of their precious time together on Thanksgiving!!!!" "Let's all boycott <insert name of store in article>!!"
And the media, dear God, the media. Just as with ebola, they cannot just report the facts - you know, the dry, boring FACTS that serve to do one thing: accurately inform the public - no, they have to insert themselves, drama, and theme music into their pronouncements.
"Kmart will be opening at 6am on Thanksgiving." FACT
"KMART RUINING THANKSGIVING!!" (<--- Picture that with rivulets of dripping blood.) Hyperbolic bullshit intended to get clicks and rouse the rabble.
Well, mission accomplished. The masses are acting like asses, right on cue.
How conveniently chosen is their target. How dramatic the rending of their garments for retails workers across the land. And as I said, how cherry picked is their indignation.
Think I'm wrong? Process these words and then try to defend your position again: Airports, Airlines, Fast Food, gas stations, grocery stores, 911 operators, nursing homes, home alarm monitoring services, ticket takers, concession workers and camera operators at your sacred football games, HOSPITALS, police, fire, EMS, HOTELS. And that's just the tip of the iceberg of convenience you take for granted.
Don't these poor, beleaguered workers deserve the day completely off, too?
How about we just shutter the fire department and when your cousin Jethro burns your house down by drunkenly frying the turkey on the back porch, you can warm yourself by the flames and by the happiness you get from knowing the firefighters were all home watching the game and eating crescent rolls.
And I am sure you won't mind bleeding out when the hospital doors are locked and you accidentally cut a wrist vein instead of the onions for the stuffing. Rub some dirt in it. They'll be back open on Friday. And don't forget to pick up Grandma from the nursing home because no one will be there to change her bag or give her meds on Thanksgiving. Doors will reopen at 8am on Friday to redeposit her.
And if Granny falls down the steps and breaks a hip when you ring the dinner bell? Tell her not to bother pressing her Life Alert bracelet - she'll only get a recording. Toss her some Motrin and a blanket, 911 will answer your calls for an ambulance the next day.
Traveling over the river and through the woods for the holidays? Take some extra gas cans if you're driving because those Valero, Shell, and 7-11 employees should not have to work just so you can conveniently stop and fill up on gas and beef jerky along the way.
Flying? Forget those much cheaper flights ON the holiday. Pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, airlines workers, airport janitors, etc deserve better than missing their families just so you can save a buck and a vacation day by not traveling the day before.
Am I making my point?
People light this rage fire once a year the same way they do the whole War On Christmas nonsense and neither is anything but ridiculous. (If you are too obstinate to process that not everyone worships like you do, then you deserve coal in your originally-a-pagan-holiday-called-Saturnalia stocking.)
If Best Buy being open on Thanksgiving offends you, don't go shop there on Thanksgiving. But don't fool yourself - thousands of other people WILL, and that is why they will be open.
Just as hospitals and airports and hotels are open 24/7 (hell, prior to ramped up security concerns, most did not have locks on their doors - no need) because that is the nature of their business and what their clientele demand, retail outlets are simply responding to their customers.
I worked in hotels for years and always worked holidays. Hell, I volunteered. It was no big deal. I didn't whine about it, I still managed to see my family for a portion of the day, and I got time and a half for my effort. With Rudy's hospitality career, this family has consistently shifted holidays, anniversaries, birthddays to accomodate the needs of the industry. NO BIG DEAL. In fact, he will not be coming home this Thanksgiving. A holiday is when and what you make it. Just because everyone else is eating turkey on Thanksgiving does not mean we can't make it the day before or after - or in this case when he finally comes home at Christmas. No one in this family is emotionally scarred over it.
I feel sorry for retail employees during these massive holiday shopping days for one reason: THE CONSUMER. I don't feel sorry for them because they have to work a shift, I feel sorry because they have to put up with US, and WE, collectively, act like asses in the face of a cheap electronic.
Want to really help them? If you are a part of the crowds, ACT LIKE A HUMAN BEING, not some slovenly pig at a trough. Treat them with respect. Thank them for their assistance.
Because bitching about their stores being open is so much faux bah humbug.
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