Black Thursday Laws

A few days ago I posted about Black Friday and what it costs us. Obviously, I'm not a fan.

Having said that, I am opposed to the law proposed by Missouri State legislators that would restrict stores from being open on Thanksgiving Day. In spite of the fact that I think it is silly to spend a holiday at the store instead of with your family, the reality is that for some people, holiday shopping is a family event.

I doubt that you will see me in a store on Thanksgiving Day, waiting in line for a great sale on a "door buster" special. However, I think that the decision to be open or to shop should be left to the retailers and shoppers. Face it, this was an experiment by the big box stores. If nobody showed up or the profits didn't exceed the expenses, it won't happen again. If people showed up and spent enough money on items other than the loss leaders, it will happen again and again.

I will say that I feel for the employees that have to work on the holiday, but I've worked the retail racket myself and currently work in a 24/7 occupation. I've worked on plenty of holidays and missed too many kids' events and family gatherings. It is an occupational hazard.

So on the one hand, we want people to spend money and have jobs. On the other hand, we want stores to be closed and people to stay home from work and shopping. Hmmm...

I think that our legislators (at every level) have plenty to do (like working on...oh, I don't know...governmental things), without passing stupid regulations on people. We can make up our own minds about when we want to shop and what we are willing to give up for a great deal.

Really? Did you think that we sent you to Jefferson City to help us figure out when to shop?
Give me a break.

John <><