The other night as I watched the news, there was a story about some people who decided they were going to skip Thanksgiving — not to show symbolic solidarity with the homeless, or to work for charity, or for any noble cause. They were skipping Thanksgiving so they could be first in line at Best Buy on Friday morning.

Hansen, his friend Jared, and a few others will bear the cold weather just to be the first ones to get inside Best Buy on Friday…They’re thankful to be the first ones in line…thankful enough that they’re not even going home this turkey day. “I’m not going home for thanksgiving my mom’s bringing me out some left over turkey and a miniature grill to cook hot dogs on.

That’s right. These conspicuous consumers got in line Wednesday and stayed there two nights and all of Thanksgiving day. They had tents to sleep in and snacks to eat, and Lord knows where they relieved themselves during all that time. And for their sacrifice they got the dubious distinction of being the first ones allowed to spend their money at Best Buy on Friday morning.

A sad tale of misplaced priorities, but not as sad as the one I heard about today:

NEW YORK — A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday when “out-of-control” shoppers desperate for bargains broke down the doors at a 5 a.m. sale. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

The Wal-Mart worker was only 34 years old. What I find most appalling is the callous attitude of the people when told the store was closing because of the person’s death — no sympathy or remorse, but rather anger and complaining about how long they had waited to shop that morning. How selfish and heartless can you get? Who thinks to themselves, “Who cares if somebody died? I want my ‘Incredible Hulk’ DVD for $9!”

Black Friday, indeed.