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Wait a minute. According to the OP, shouldn't this entire forum be closed today?
Why stop there? We're just going to have to close the Internet on holidays.
Oh, by the way, when I spend my hard-earned money when and where I please, that isn't "entitlement".
I just realized something. This is Thanksgiving and I have already answered a customer support email this morning. Would I have broken the law under the OP's vision of Utopia?
In some states such as Mass. actually have “blue laws” that forbids stores from operating on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Though a less “socialist” way I suggest this be approached is to have Labor laws that forbid workers from being required to work or for employers to penalize, threaten, or fire workers from refusing to work on holidays.
Maybe we can have variations in the hours they are required to work for certain businesses/industries such as grocery and convenience stores/gas stations that provide daily necessities or last minute holiday necessities. Ie up to 6pm on Thanksgiving for such stores/businesses. No later than 2pm for fast food joints as they may serve those who need to travel on holiday. Though there is no excuse for malls or retail stores to require any sales associates to work on the holiday itself. These can wait till at least midnight or Friday AM hours. Obviously if it’s a business that is running with solely the owner/manager on site or his or her immediate family there should be no need to force them to close or it would be government overreach.
I know of some countries do require employers to pay at least four times the normally hourly rate or a large bonus for pretty much anyone they employ working on any part of a holiday regardless of type of job and in those areas a “holiday” may last for days, not just one day, in those countries. While stores there are not forced to “close” for holidays they would think twice about making the choice to operate on a holiday.
While these proposals may not be enforceable in practically its a good start.
Please note I am normally against excessive regulations. Though I believe workers should have a right to choose whether to work on a holiday or not and not be pushed or pressured to do so by their employer.
Last edited by citizensadvocate; 11-22-2018 at 10:08 AM..
Huh. The one size must fit all mentality? Maybe you should stay home on the holidays and celebrate the way you see fit and those who want to shop should be able to shop. Brick and mortar stores are dying one by one because of cyber shopping and many of them make most of their money during the holiday season.
So if Gas stations are such an essential service. Do you agree that the employees should be paid over the Minimum wage?
Absolutely.
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland
Yeh, I hated that. Hated the stores being closed on Sunday--when you work all week, the weekends are necessary for shopping.
Just banning stores opening on Thanksgiving and Christmas is nothing compared to that. Two days of not running out and shopping. And with the mass materialism where all some people can think about is buying stuff, maybe we do need some laws to help us out. Remember, some people have no common sense and will not teach their kids that you don't have to run out and buy everything in sight, that's it's ok to stay home with your family a couple of times a year.
Exactly, thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJmann
You still have weekday evenings & Saturday to shop... plenty of time.
Exactly, you still have plenty of time. The French make do and so can you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilot1
Oh, gee, thanks. How about that I work late, or go to the gym, or do other things with my time. The reason we are a FREE, Capitalist society is so that the MARKET can fulfill our needs if it makes sense. Being open on Sundays, and Holidays should be UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL not government.
Tyranny is respecting the national holiday enough to want to appreciate it and give thanks rather than go shopping? What is the big deal with shopping? I think people are too brainwashed by tv to think that they need to shop all the time.
And if I haven't bought my Thanksgiving food by Wednesday night, it's not the end of the world. Most people will know how to make do. You will survive. People are getting way to soft and spoiled and brainwashed. You really do not have to run out and shop at every spare moment.
Preach!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern man
Do you still have USA citizenship? If so, why?
Yes, because I intend to come back to the USA and because I still want to exercise my rights as a US citizen. Why shouldn't I still have it?
Yes, because I intend to come back to the USA and because I still want to exercise my rights as a US citizen. Why shouldn't I still have it?
I believe I have a right as a US citizen to shop when it suits my busy schedule. If I don't, then I should. Society moves at quite a different pace than it did 2000 years ago. It's called progress.
How is this demand of yours any different than the USA demanding that France must mandate stores to be OPEN on holidays?
We don’t live in Europe and don’t need to emulate the Eurotrash.
Yes we do, their quality of life is better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJmann
So what? Change for the better! You don’t value family and quality of life time so I’m not surprised
Preach!
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland
That's an awful thing to say. Americans have friends and relatives in Europe and you call them trash.
In some ways they are ahead of us. This is one case. When there's a national holiday, it should really be a holiday. It would help to bring us all together again, one country again. I wouldn't dream of going shopping on a day that has been set aside for some great purpose, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the 4th of July.
Some places need to be open like hospitals, gas stations with people traveling to relatives, drug stores in case someone is sick, etc. But help us to set aside a few special days for family, friends, relaxation, and to stop the obsessive shopping and materialism in our culture.
Exactly, thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by .sparrow.
So you want men with guns (government) to force other people to do something because you personally made a decision that you regret and want to lessen the blame on yourself by putting the blame on businesses that are open on holidays?
Think about what you're saying here.
Also reflect on the fact that we all make decisions we regret.
And I'm sorry that you have that pain. I understand it.
But you are not unique in that suffering, and two wrongs do not make a right.
Government is NEVER the answer to your problems.
Peace,
sparrow
Thank you for your kind words, but it's not just about me; it's about all the other people who have been in my shoes or will be in the future unless this corporate greed comes to an end or we have stronger labor laws.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hesychios
The government needs to make it ILLEGAL for stores to be open on Thanksgiving and all other holidays!
That's not the American way.
It should be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by T-310
Imposing government will in businesses is communistic. If a business wants to be open, why not?
We ought to embrace a little communism in the USA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandsthetime
All that tells me is that your incapable of making wise decisions. You are certainly free to do things with your time, but you need to know how to manage your time effectively. If going to the gym is a higher priority for you than buying groceries, then that's entirely your fault.
And this entitlement mentality you have is exactly the problem with today's American society. It's not just exclusively to you, either. I was standing in line the other day behind a customer with an expired coupon who bitched and complained to all the employees as to why the store wouldn't honor her coupon when it's 15 days expired. Would it have been too harsh to remind her that she had a month (or longer) to use that coupon prior to it expiring? Maybe her delicate feelings would have gotten hurt...
No lies detected!
Quote:
Originally Posted by citizensadvocate
In some states such as Mass. actually have “blue laws” that forbids stores from operating on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Though a less “socialist” way I suggest this be approached is to have Labor laws that forbid workers from being required to work or for employers to penalize, threaten, or fire workers from refusing to work on holidays.
Maybe we can have variations in the hours they are required to work for certain businesses/industries such as grocery and convenience stores/gas stations that provide daily necessities or last minute holiday necessities. Ie up to 6pm on Thanksgiving for such stores/businesses. No later than 2pm for fast food joints as they may serve those who need to travel on holiday. Though there is no excuse for malls or retail stores to require any sales associates to work on the holiday itself. These can wait till at least midnight or Friday AM hours. Obviously if it’s a business that is running with solely the owner/manager on site or his or her immediate family there should be no need to force them to close or it would be government overreach.
I know of some countries do require employers to pay at least four times the normally hourly rate or a large bonus for pretty much anyone they employ working on any part of a holiday regardless of type of job and in those areas a “holiday” may last for days, not just one day, in those countries. While stores there are not forced to “close” for holidays they would think twice about making the choice to operate on a holiday.
While these proposals may not be enforceable in practically its a good start.
Please note I am normally against excessive regulations. Though I believe workers should have a right to choose whether to work on a holiday or not and not be pushed or pressured to do so by their employer.
Yes! We need stronger labor laws to protect employees.
This corporate greed and fuel for mindless consumerism needs to stop, we need to get back to having holidays being for what they are meant to be. I live in France now and EVERYTHING non-essential is closed on holidays! Because it is mandated by the government and it needs to be the same in the USA! It should be ILLEGAL for retailers and all other non-essential services to be open on Thanksgiving or any other holiday for that matter, give the holidays back to employees and let them have their holidays back!
I would rather have this "socialism" than this unchecked corporate greed we have now.
Corporate Greed.... you bet.
But I'll go with freedom rather than the heavy hand of government.
You know who's responsible for people having to work on Thanksgiving? The American consumer. Stop patronizing the stores on Thanksgiving --- and they will close for the day.
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