Friday, November 24, 2017

Black Friday

That term has always had a negative connotation.

In history texts, the 1929 Stock Market Crash, Tuesday, Oct. 29, is referred to as “Black Tuesday.”

The Aug. 17, 1943, bombing of ball bearing plants in Schweinfurt, Germany, cost the U.S. Army Air Force 60 B-17s shot down, with 600 crewmen killed, missing or prisoner of war. More men were wounded or killed on aircraft that managed to return to England. Additional aircraft were so damaged that they were never flown again. The attack is known as “Black Thursday.”

Here in the U.S., though, “Black Friday” is supposed to be positive, since some ad agency three or so decades ago decided the day after Thanksgiving was “the busiest shopping day of the year.”

Well, some of us say, “Show me the numbers.” Prove the assertion.

Doesn’t happen. TV news shows somehow use Black Friday not only as established fact, but also as real news.

Eventually, people who descend on retail stores will figure it out – We’ve been had.

I have never gone out to buy anything the day after Thanksgiving. I hope I never do.

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