What is Christmas coming to?

What has Christmas become for American's today? I have read about a Wal-Mart temp employee being trampled to death by crowds trying to rush the front door, and other employees being trampled in their rescue efforts and other shoppers being injured... including an 8 month pregnant woman. Shoppers responses when told the store was closing due to the death... selfishness. They responded with comments about how long they have been waiting in line to get in the store. They continued to shop. They didn't care that because of their selfishness, a family will not be celebrating Christmas with thier husband, father, brother, or son. Instead, they will spend the holidays mourning his death. The debt he paid for the shoppers? Materialism. Today's society has placed more value on getting that hyped up toy as a gift for a child (in many cases, a completely undeserving child) and less value on life itself. All my life, I have avoided Black Friday... not because of it being the biggest sale day, but because of the hype, the crowds, the gimmicks. I can get those same items for about the same price the next week. No reason to go just because society says it is the day to go shopping. I prefer to go when the stores are empty. There is no rush to shop, because there is no real need for presents. My family usually gets one present from me... updated pictures of my children. My shopping trip... a stop at the photographer studio to get the pictures, a stop at the post office for stamps, and a stop at the mall or Wal-Mart back in October for the cards. Then a drive by a mailbox early December. My actual shopping is usually limited to my children and my ex-husband and if I have a boyfriend/fiance/new husband. Most of my family get me gift cards so I can buy what we actually need. Sometimes we receive toys and stuff, usually small, not very often, but always a surprise that sends my children into squeals of excitement.

My son is five... turns six in January. He understands that mommy can't find a job, but mommy needs money to buy stuff. He doesn't ask me to buy toys too often, but he will ask me if daddy gave mommy more money so we can buy more food (or go to a resturant for dinner... his favorite thing to do besides the park). He has asked me to take the little bit of money out of his piggy bank to buy stuff we need. At the age of five, he understands that he doesn't need toys, but we need to pay bills to survive. How can a five year old grasp that concept, yet 35 year olds can't get it?