Every Friday after Thanksgiving, two things happen: The Tigers play Arkansas, and throngs of shoppers make the annual mad dash to the stores to swoop in on “Black Friday” deals. But this year the de facto holiday departed from its benign materialistic reputation and entered a whole new realm of absurdity.The “black” in Black Friday took on a more literal meaning when a 34-year-old man’s life was cut short.Jdimytai Damour was trampled to death when a frenzied crowd descended upon the Long Island Wal-Mart he was hired to assist as a temporary worker.The prospect of $800 plasma TVs led a mob of about 2,000 to assemble outside the doors of the store. Just a few minutes before the store was set to open, the impatient crowd began pressing against the sliding doors. The doors ultimately buckled under the pressure of the crowd, twisting metal and unleashing a torrent of maddened shoppers into the store. Damour, who was attempting to brace the doors, was knocked down and subsequently crushed in the stampede.Four others, including a pregnant woman, were sent to the hospital.Damour’s death was certainly an accident — no one went into the store looking to kill someone — but it was hardly unavoidable. It was their collection as a mob that made it possible for so many to unknowingly take part in his demise.In the wake of this tragedy, it’s important to reflect on what would drive the crowd to form. Clearly it is a consequence of the consumer culture that comes to its climax during the holiday season.The crowd’s collective barbarianism has a broader symbolism for the state of American culture. The rise of materialism is a well-observed phenomenon and hardly new. But rarely could this perceived moral bankruptcy be attributed to causing someone’s death.While the individuals that made up the crowd are certainly to blame for the actual death of the man, the commercial retailers like Wal-Mart hold a bigger share of the burden.Retailers who participate in the promotion of Black Friday are propagating the want for material possessions. This, of course, is completely logical, as the company’s main objective is to make money.The problem expands beyond the scope of this single incident. Materialism — which threatens American morals — is a drawback of our capitalist system. Like the man in Kansas cooking up crystal meth for his buyers, retailers bare a large part of the responsibility for creating the consumer culture of the day.But the mob that assembled last week goes beyond the broad corruption of American culture. It was the brainchild of retailers who participate in Black Friday every year.Retailers like Wal-Mart rely on advertising low prices for products in extremely low quantities. The ensuing rush to stand in line — sometimes days before opening — leads to great publicity for the stores.For the media, covering crazed deal goers is a staple news story for the six o’clock news. Of course, this is beneficial to the retailers.The long lines, the crowds and chaos were exactly what Wal-Mart wanted on Black Friday. It’s also exactly what killed Damour. With the crowd lining up outside, Wal-Mart got exactly what it wanted. It simply wasn’t prepared to deal with it.Even if it were considered ethical to use chaos with the possibility of harm as a marketing tool, there were several practical steps the store could have taken to ensure the safety of all participants.Wal-Mart claims it set up barricades, hired extra security and coordinated with police.But according to one police official, the store was not adequately prepared to deal with the mob.  Wal-Mart has declined to give any more information on the steps they took to maintain a safe environment, such as how many were hired for security.”Despite all of our precautions, this unfortunate event occurred,” said an official Wal-Mart statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those impacted.”The store always had the option of turning off the lights and putting up a “closed” sign. Of course, the most obvious precaution should have been not to create an atmosphere in which customers would vie for their deals using physical force. While Wal-Mart shouldn’t be criticized for making good deals, when those deals are limited in quantity just to instill chaos — and ultimately publicity — they become morally responsible for the consequences.It’s safe to say Black Friday isn’t going anywhere. But hopefully retailers will just stick to corrupting our society and not inciting riots.—-Contact Mark Macmurdo at [email protected]