The Thanksgiving Code

There should be a code among retailers for Black Friday. A pledge that commits to allowing employees and would-be customers time with family and friends. For example, my girlfriends and I have a code. We've do not go after the same shoe or the same guy. But retailers like Toys 'R Us are opening their doors at 9:00 p.m. The pressure is on to give up prime time away from the pinochle tournament or testing out the new XBox 360 to trample someone you've never met for a toy your child will play with for all of five minutes before they're on to something else. Target, one of my favorite retailers, will be flinging their doors open wide at 10 pm. My second favorite place to shop, Crabtree Valley Mall, will open at 3 a.m. The worst offender is Wal-Mart who is not even closing on Thanksgiving. Why? Why do retailers feel the need to lure us away from turkey time and one of few company paid long weekends? I'm throwing down the gauntlet-- right here, right now! I'm challenging retailers to not try to one up each other at time when their employees are already paid to little, worked too long and taken away from those that matter far too often. So similar to the Pirate Pledge my good friends in the Shadow Players stage combat pirate troop ask all audience members to recite, I'm asking Wal-Mart, Target, Toys 'R Us and others to take the following pledge: I (say your name), promise to not horn in on my employees' time away from the office/sales floor. I (say your name again) realize my employees deserve a few extra hours with those friends and family who miss their silly touchdown dance, hate that they always get the high score in Wii bowling, and repeatedly show off on the dance floor. I (name again) am pledging to allow my employees to live their Thanksgiving holiday to the fullest and will open my doors at a more reasonable hour after the turkey has been put away. Happy Thanksgiving.