Black Friday: Because only in America do people trample others just for a sale exactly one day after they were giving thanks for what they already have.

Well said, Laurie!

What's also sad is Black Friday, no the whole Christmas shopping season, has become the make or break time for many businesses not to mention the GDP.

What with the job and all, I've always stayed in Forsyth on the day after Thanksgiving. It's nice and quiet. Our busy time is spread out over the last couple of weeks before Christmas, after everyone's gotten frustrated with being unable to find the stuff they want in Billings. I do all my own shopping around here and Miles City, or online for those things I can't find locally.

A friend of mine used to run the jewelry store here. During his first Christmas season, he was busy scheduling extra help for the post-Thanksgiving weekend. I said, "Why are you doing that?" He said, "Well it's the busiest retail weekend of the year, don't you know that?" I said "Not HERE, it's not." But he wouldn't listen.

So I went in the store on that Friday and said, "How's the busiest retail day of the year going?" He said, "Shut up."

I used to work in retail and worked Black Friday. I avoid all stores on that day in support of my fellow workers.