Daily Herald editorial

Is it wrong for stores to be open on Thanksgiving Day? Or is it the fault of consumers who insist on shopping that day of all days?

It’s a tough issue to take a stand on.

On one hand, store managers look like Ebenezer Scrooge requiring employees to work instead of being with their families during Thanksgiving, a very special holiday in this country.

On the other hand, consumers share much of the blame for being willing to shop on Thanksgiving Day instead of waiting for Black Friday. If more of them would just wait until Friday during normal work hours, stores no doubt would adjust. Stores are merely responding to what the customers want.

Besides, the stores are competing against places online that always are open. They have to do what they can.

We see the reasons for all sides. Either we are all at fault or no one is to blame.

And it makes us consider another angle: Family values are brought up quite a bit during political debates in America. Politicians take shots at major family problems, such as divorce, abortion, who can get married and teenage abstinence.

However, why isn’t the issue of family simply spending more time together brought up? If we want America to improve its family values, perhaps American leaders need to value the time of the family.