ShareThis
November 16, 2011
In these very tough economic times, retail businesses have continued to think of ways to increase their sales. Amidst prediction of lower gross sales this traditional Black Friday after-Thanksgiving blow out sales in all retail stores, Target, Macy’s, Best Buy and Kohl’s have announced they will be opening their doors at midnight Thursday. Not to be outdone, Wal-Mart will open at 10 p.m. The news ticked off many of their employees, some turning it into a personal crusade against commercialism and corporate greed.
One such person was Anthony Hardwick, a part-time parking attendant for 3 years at Target in Omaha, Nebraska. Hardwick launched an online petition on Change. Org, asking Target to reverse its decision to open its store on Thursday midnight. Pursuant to this plan, employees should be at work no later than 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Over 7,000 people have so far joined his online campaign.
Hardwick argued, like most employees would, that Thanksgiving is an occasion to savor with family. It is having a big dinner and enjoying the camaraderie of his parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and others. “We don’t mind hard work, but cutting into our holidays is a step too far,” said Hardwick. “If Target doesn’t reverse its decision and allow associates to spend Thanksgiving holidays with their family, they might suffer from a fast-growing consumer backlash,” he added.
Hardwick has certainly packed a lot of steam into his online petition, gathering more than 7,000 signatures in just a few days, as per Change.org Director of Organizing Jess Kutch but whether Target would reverse its position or not remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the question Hardwick should probably ask is, would he still have his job either on or beyond Thanksgiving?
Is Anthony Hardwick to be commended for his guts to speak up for his beliefs and stand up against insensitive corporate decision or is his reckless activism to be blamed should he lose his job over this?
Going public about his objection to a management’s decision is bold and risky and if this is his bread and butter, Anthony Hardwick certainly put his livelihood on the line. And even if Target reverses its decision, Hardwick’s victory may not be his to savor for long as it could turn out to be just another Pyrrhic victory he’d regret soon. Or would he?
Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he’d be happier to see he had caused a positive change that benefited a majority despite its consequent backlash on him. Maybe, just maybe, he was inspired by the positive outcome of consumer activism as demonstrated by customers of Bank of America who put their foot down against BOA’s move to charge a $5 monthly fee on debit card holders. Maybe he, like those Occupy Wall Street demonstrators and supporters believe it is time to stop taking it in and high time to start putting it out if we want things to change for the better.
Whether it is saving the age-old tradition of Thanksgiving holiday or simply saying “No” to absurd practices, excesses and abuses both in the public and private sectors, this generation will and should no longer sit quietly in the corner watching change take the wrong route. This generation will not hold back its thoughts but it will speak up, stand up and fight back!
This time, regardless of the enticing sales on the eve of Thanksgiving, it will do us a world of good to stick to the spirit of family togetherness and grateful devotion to our Almighty Father rather than give in to the mad rush for commercial goods and thus patronize corporate greed.
Enough is enough! More than saving Thanksgiving, let us start saving our lives and protect our children’s future from the ravages of an enslaving all-for-profit-driven economy.