Trampled

The recent trampling of a Long Island, NY Wal Mart worker on the morning of Black Friday has elicited a lot of commentary about our economic mess, consumerism, and why we ought to Buy Nothing (Day). While I’m deeply saddened, probably the only fresh perspective I can offer would be as a former Long Islander looking in and my misgivings about the whole “Buy Nothing Day” idea.

In short, I don’t think “Buy Nothing Day” is the answer.

For one, it doesn’t help the current economic mess we’re in, but more importantly I can’t help but wonder if the motives behind are disingenuous. It’s easy for us who have everything to observe one day to buy nothing, but for others less privileged it is the one day to lavish, to buy what otherwise is unaffordable. To look down upon this is sort of a self-righteous snobbery, if you ask me and that leads to the next thing.

Long Island is changing. Recent racial slurs against the rapidly diversifying community show that it aint the haven of “white flight” it used to be; it is now a slosh of minorities, cultures, and people fighting to make a living. It’s gloriously New York. It’s not the upscale neighborhood anymore, it’s becoming the new Brooklyn, which has undergone the miracles / ravages of gentrification. All the old, po folk have moved to the affordable regions of Queens / L.I. as Brooklyn is transformed into yet another urban yuppie town. Which comes full-circle back to Buy Nothing Day. We can’t criticize them for indulging on this hallowed Black Friday as we blog from our enlightened condo high-rises. The stampede is a travesty of human behavior yes, but buying nothing is still not the answer. Dare I say, it is more systemic than that. And dare I say that the idea of “Buying Nothing” is hardly whispered on the lips of any ordinary Long Islander. Prove me wrong if I am.