We’re All Responsible For The Walmart Tragedy
November 29, 2008
Whenever a tragedy occurs, there’s always plenty of people looking for someone to blame. And the case of the Walmart assistant, who was trampled to death by Black Friday sales shoppers, was no exception.
Hundreds of message board users pointed the finger at the 200 shoppers involved, Walmart, the Government and anyone else they could think to blame. But the truth is, we are all responsible for the Walmart assistant’s tragic death.
People who flock to the type of sales that Walmart run are motivated by two powerful emotions - the first is usually greed, they want something as cheap as possible. And the second is fear - if they don’t get through those doors fast enough, they’ll lose that half price tv they’ve had their eye on.
And I know that like me, many of you hate shopping but that doesn’t let us off the hook. If you have a business, you’re selling something. And if you’re doing a decent enough job of it - you’re appealing to people’s emotions to buy. And the strongest and easiest emotions to appeal to are fear and greed.
Some folk would call this manipulation and others would call it persuasion. But either way - you’re doing it. If you’re not, you’re probably not making much cash.
Ok, so maybe you’re not selling “stuff” - you might be selling products or services to improve people’s lives in some way. But does that really let you off the hook? The woman down the street selling trashy fashion jewellery might think she’s improving people’s lives too.
So lets think about the Walmart tragedy again. What do you think could be done to stop something like that happening in the future? Do you think it would be easier if folk stopped looking for someone to blame and accepted that we are all responsible? Or do you think we’re not responsible at all?
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27 Responses to “We’re All Responsible For The Walmart Tragedy”
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Is getting rid of WalMart an acceptable answer? I would play this survivor style. Since we all make this an issue, WalMart makes it the biggest issue. So let’s get rid of the biggest problem and then work on it from there.
Sal’s last blog post..Lavender Friday
So here I am all the way over here in Guam thinking that me?? myself?? responsible? as a pediatrician. Maybe not so directly, but I could do more to help educate my captive audiences that more and cheaper is not better.
It’s tragic. And BTW- I’ve never shopped on Black Friday. Crowds Ugh!
Dr. Cason’s last blog post..Re: Should I Delete My Blog
Hi Cath - I think Walmart could be a lot more responsible in the way they run their sales. We have a similar situation on Dec 26, and retailers have had to pull in their horns because of safety issues.
Robin’s last blog post..Why We Sabotage Ourselves
Walmart isn’t the problem. It could have happened at any one — or more — of thousands of stores across the country that participated in the Black Friday price markdown. Or something different could have happened, like the argument at a Toys-R-Us that resulting in a shooting.
I see this more of a cultural problem — rampant consumerism spurred on by the greed of the overpaid heads of retail corporations, the never-ending pitches of the Madison Avenue ad-men, and the constant nagging about holiday sales by the media. It’s symptomatic of the issues that led us into the economic crisis facing us today.
…, and if you think I really believe all of that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
It just happened and tragic things like that are going to happen again in a crowd situations where the crowd gets out of hand.
I must admit, though, that there is some amount truth in what I wrote.
Mike Goad’s last blog post..Tower Falls
Cath, I’m not sure we’re all responsible, but I do think we need to look to ourselves, the way we live, consume and work, when we start thinking about ways to change the world for the better in the longer term.
Joanna Young’s last blog post..Asking Questions For a Change: Free E-Book
I think this incident is more of a reflection on humans and mob mentality than it is on consumerism. Similar things happen at sporting events and at rock concerts. While this was tragic and you certainly don’t expect to die at Walmart, it pales when considering that a child dies of starvation every 5 seconds. I wish as much energy would be devoted to that issue as I’ve seen for this Walmart incident or the Motrin Moms ad.
Kim Woodbridge’s last blog post..How to Exclude a Category From the Sidebar List in WordPress
I gotta disagree with you that we are all responsible.
It’s a fact that many people are greedy and others a bit less and some not at all.
I bet nobody would have expected anything like this happen and probably the first people in cannot even be blamed, because others pushed them on from the back. We have seen this happen on concerts years and years back.
I’ve been in a situation like that once, if I had fallen, or anyone in that moment of movement, the person would have been badly injured or dead.
My solution is: I never get in a crowd like that again. Ever.
With the economy the way it is, people look for the cheapest ways to get whatever they want.
I wish, more of them would just ask themselves “Do I really need that?”
Many of them probably will next time. Before they set foot in a WalMart or a Toys R Us again on the next big Sales date.
As long as greed rules the world, we can only hope that more and more people start to wake up and use a part of their brain that has been demoralized by too many commercials over the last 20 years.
Hi Sal - LMAO - getting rid of Walmart sounds like an interesting idea. I would be quite happy if all the huge supermarkets closed down.
Hi Dr Cason - That would be a good start. And I’m glad you mentioned the more and cheaper thing. If folk accepted less, maybe it wouldn’t need to be cheaper and folk would be paid a decent wage for all that stuff. Then again - maybe the supermarkets would be greedy and take a bigger margin.
Hi Joanna - doing that would help. I know a lot of folk believe that changing their own habits couldn’t make a difference. But all those individual people add up. And some of them might be influencers.
Hi Robin - That’s true, they didn’t seem to consider the safety issues. Maybe letting a few people in at a time would work?
Hi Kim - that is true - incidents like this happen at other events. I hear you on the attention issue. And that is one thing I find out about social media too.
Straight after Motrin - I posted two items on Twitter that deserved more attention. One was asking for to sign a petition to release the identities of parents who had tortured and murdered a baby. And the other one was a RT of a video on the sexual exploitation of children throughout the world.
But those Tweets barely received any attention. I wonder why that is? I know we had a discussion on here a while ago and many people said they avoided reading about horrific things because it upset them. I guess that might be one reason.
Hi Nicole - Greed plays a big part doesn’t it? I hear what you say about folk pushing from behind. That does happen in crowds doesn’t it? Sometimes, unless you keep going, you feel as though you might be pushed over.
Commercials do encourage greed don’t they? Many people are switching off to being advertised at now - hopefully more people will do the same.
Hi Mike - You are still going in Askimet. Something is seriously wrong. There’s probably other folk on the same IP as you and one of them is a spammer.
I didn’t know someone was shot at Toys R Us - that is scary. I agree - there is some truth in what you say. And I guess when folk are told that they can spend their way out of an economic crisis - they many not necessarily believe it. But some will use it as an excuse.
Crowds are a big problem though - whether they’re physical crowds or not - they can still be dangerous.
Cath, I disagree that “we’re all responsible” for what happened at Walmart.
Greed and rampant consumerism is ugly and makes people do ugly things.
I never, ever, go shopping in stores on Black Friday. Actually, I do ALL my Christmas shopping online because I hate the crowds, parking problems, grumpy people complaining about the long lines, as well as the tired/hungry/needing a diaper change screaming little children.
Every year on Black Friday, there is always a story or two (or more) of someone losing their life by being trampled, shot, stabbed etc. Every single year without fail.
I still remember the news story several years ago about grown women/mothers physically fighting each other in a toy store trying to get a doll their daughter “desperately” wanted for Christmas.
Boo hoo waaaah. (Sarcasm intended) And parents wonder why their kids feel ENTITLED to whatever their little hearts desire.
Walmart and every other store should have learned valuable lessons about crowd mentality (ie stupidity) and crowd control by now, by taking necessary steps to cord off the entrance and create a kindergarten-like line, wherein only a few would be allowed in at a time.
I wonder what the 200 or so Walmart customers, who pushed and shoved their way in and caused this man to lose his life, are thinking and feeling today.
Someone lost their life; someone lost their son, brother, father ?…..all for the sake of greed and a discount.
Lin Burress @Telling It Like It Is’s last blog post..Walmart Black Friday Deaths - Walmart Employee Trampled to Death
Cath, We are all responsible in the sense that any of us is capable of doing anything in a mob. What’s ghastly about this Wal-Mart incident is the reason behind the mob mentality. A frenzy of this magnitude over getting a good deal on some video game or bath towel? It’s insane. I have more sympathy for a bunch of drunks who start a stampede at a rock concert or sporting event. Horrible as those episodes are, at least they have the excuse of not being clear in the head. We really need to take a hard look at ourselves.
Brad Shorr’s last blog post..Focus on Production, Not Consumption or Wealth Transfer
Hi Cath. I’m not sure if we are all to blame or not, but I do see what you’re trying to say. You’re saying that as business owners we’re all advertising and appealing to some kind of crowd or another in a way that will make people really want what you have . . . just on a much smaller scale.
So in essence, we’re doing the same thing Wal*Mart is doing.
I agree with some here, closing Wal*Mart down wouldn’t solve the problem. Similar things happen at Best Buy, Circuit City, Macy’s, etc.
I don’t shop on black Friday, or if I do, it’s at home on the computer. Dealing with the crowds just isn’t worth it for me to save a couple hundred or less - I’ll just buy less presents.
The whole situation sucks. I heard a woman had a miscarriage because of the Wal*Mart issue as well.
John Hoff - eVentureBiz’s last blog post..My Favorite Kind Of Website Statistic To Have Is . . .
I was deeply bothered when our local news hardly gave this any coverage. They gave it as much coverage as they gave other pieces of “Black Friday” news.
Vered - MomGrind’s last blog post..Worst. Mom. Ever.
Hi Lin - that is terrible - folk fighting over a doll. If things like this are happening every year, as you say, Walmart should have already learned plenty about crowd control.
I hear what you’re saying about that sense of entitlement mentality. It reminds me of your mean mom post. If you let kids think they’re automatically entitled to everything - it causes big problems when they get older.
Hi Brad - it’s frightening isn’t it, how folk will behave in a mob. I know when I see footage of riots on TV, I have to wonder how so many seemingly normal people become involved in such chaos and destruction. And as you say, in this case, folk are dying over things like cheap bath towels.
Hi John - I prefer to shop on the Internet too. I also heard about the woman who had the miscarriage. I believe that happened at the same store and another guy was badly injured too.
Hi Vered - That is bad. It’s like the local media is saying that loss of life is no more important than shopping.
HI Cath: I also saw in the news that people were lining up for the Black Friday sales since the night before. By the time the doors open everyone in the crowd is in a frenzy to get to the best products on sale first. I think you can’t just open the doors and let people barge in, the whole process should have been better regulated.
Marelisa’s last blog post..Productivity Tip: Think Small
Hi Cath. This has been very thought provoking! I’ve given this some thought and what came to me was that this goes even way beyond consumerism, fear, poverty consciousness, etc. That is the tip of the iceberg.
We are so caught up in our own worlds that we don’t “see” the people next to us. I’m willing to bet that if all the people in the crowd knew each other, including the Walmart employee, that this wouldn’t have happened. Would we stampede our friends and family and run right over top of them? I don’t think so.
Davina’s last blog post..When Fear Closes In, Take Action
I think that in certain situations we all have the potential within us to be just like those people. It’s good that we recognize it, instead of denying it, because then we’re more likely to do something about it. Like putting down the sales fliers and evaluating whether we even need some of this stuff.
I think the saddest thing of all is that there were probably only a couple of meaningful purchases made in the store that day. Much of it will just be gathering dust in a year or two.
I also find it interesting that in other countries one hears of this sort of thing being caused by people at religious sites. Americans (Westerners) don’t get this worked up over religion, but we apparently do over stuff.
Mrs. Micah’s last blog post..A few of the things I’m thankful for
Honestly, I was in the local Wal-Mart on Friday, and the shoppers were totally insane! They’re stepping on each other feets like there are no anyone else…
People were mad when there is some bargain or cheap sales around. I learnt a lesson, “Never ever joined the mad crowd, or you’ll properly be the next victim!”
wilhb81’s last blog post..Farewell, My Friend!
Hi Mare - Definitely they should have had some system for letting folk in safely shouldn’t they? Apparently, the customers actually took the doors off the hinges to get in.
Hi Davina - that is a good point - as you say, they didn’t have any regard for folk round them. They probably didn’t even think about them. As you say, if they’d only known each other maybe they would have behaved differently.
Hi Mrs Micah - it’s scary but true - I guess we all have the potential to behave like that in particular situations. As you say, the Western world and the Eastern world both behave appallingly in different situations, depending upon what they value most.
But it’s a shame most of those folk at Walmart valued worthless junk more than anything else.
Hi Wilhb - That is bad. If I move to the US I will be staying at home on Black Friday’s.
I’m appalled by the idea of Black Friday anyway, like it’s people civil duty to go out and shop to keep the stores in the black.
What a stupid idea! Sounds like a recipe for more of what we’ve been experiencing in the world when it comes to the financial crisis - c’mon people, come spend more on “sales” (ever notice that the prices often are that different?) using credit you don’t have…
And yes, it’s all greed - from the manufacturers, to the stores to the individual shoppers.
But that doesn’t explain what happened - greed isn’t enough. What we’re all responsible for is the continuing belief that the only person in the world who matters (or exists) is oneself. Few people look out from beyond their own world to see how their actions affect others. In this case tragically.
I spent a lot of time sighing on Twitter on Friday around these stories…
Alex Fayle | Someday SyndromeI’s last blog post..Gimme a Break!
Hi Alex - I knew before I read your response that you would understand what I was getting at. “What we’re all responsible for is the continuing belief that the only person in the world who matters (or exists) is oneself.” Exactly. If we could all ditch that belief - things like Black Friday would never happen.
Cath,
You make a fair point, and it is all too easy to look at the simplistice cause behind this.
It is true that we at a broad society level foster attitudes, perceptions and beliefs which occassionally manifest themselves in poor actions or behavior. For this we must acknowledge our faults as a society.
But this is not in any way to excuse the actions of the individuals involved. Those individuals must be responsible for their own actions. They must accept the fact that their irresponsible conduct caused this tragedy and that their actions put at risk the safety of others just so that they could get a bargain.
Andrew’s last blog post..Wal Mart - bargains are not worth stampedes
Apologies about the spelling mistakes in my last comment - next time I will use my spell checker.
Andrew’s last blog post..Wal Mart - bargains are not worth stampedes
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Black Friday - what a sad situation - children can be happy playing with cardboard cut-outs - it’s the parents that have toppled into the dark hole of materialism .