Gooberpug's Blog

Sought: Wal-Mart shoppers who trampled NY worker By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writer Colleen Long, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 21 mins ago NEW YORK – Police were reviewing video from surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify who trampled to death a Wal-Mart worker after a crowd of post-Thanksgiving shoppers burst through the doors at a suburban store and knocked him down. Criminal charges were possible, but identifying individual shoppers in Friday's video may prove difficult, said Detective Lt. Michael Fleming, a Nassau County police spokesman. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said. At least four other people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries. The store in Valley Stream on Long Island closed for several hours before reopening. Police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the Wal-Mart doors before its 5 a.m. opening at a mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the employee, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion. "This crowd was out of control," Fleming said. He described the scene as "utter chaos," and said the store didn't have enough security. Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help Damour were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said. Shoppers stepped over the man on the ground and streamed into the store. Damour, 34, of Queens, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined. A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, where she and the baby were reported to be OK, said police Sgt. Anthony Repalone. Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages." "When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling `I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping." Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store. It said it tried to prepare for the crowd by adding staffers and outside security workers, putting up barricades and consulting police. "Despite all of our precautions, this unfortunate event occurred," senior Vice President Hank Mullany said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those impacted." A woman reported being trampled by overeager customers at a Wal-Mart opening Friday in Farmingdale, about 15 miles east of Valley Stream, Suffolk County police said. She suffered minor injuries, but finished shopping before filling the report, police said. Shoppers around the country line up early outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving in the annual bargain-hunting ritual known as Black Friday. It got that name because it has historically been the day when stores broke into profitability for the full year. Items on sale at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.

OK, this has me seeing red! I'm appalled and disgusted at the way Christmas has become this. What the heck is wrong with people now days? Christmas isn't about getting that big screen TV, DVD player or the newest video game. It's about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I hope each and every person who trampled this man will be found and punished for their uncaring behavior. The person who shouted that they had been their since "yesterday morning" I hope whatever you bought will remind you each and every day that someone lost their life just so you could get your precious shopping done. No wonder the rest of the world sees us as arrogant and infedels. It's episodes like this that proves them right. I wonder how many of them 2000 people who were in line, gave even one cent to a charity this year to help the poor? Probably none. Sad, just to sad.

Ok all you dog lovers, lets take our own poll as to what kind of dog the Obama girls should get.

You should all know from my name here what I think they should get. A PUG of course!!

First there was John McCain. I was saddened at seeing him give his speech, not because he lost the election, but because I felt for a man, whose last chance at the ultimate dream had just been taken away. I still feel John McCain would have been a better President then GW Bush eight years ago. Sorry, its just how I feel and see it. I think the Republicans made their biggest mistake when they passed over him for Bush. I seen a proud American stand before his country and be a true Gentleman and Man of Honor when conceding to Mr. Obama. He was gracious, humble and genuine. You could somehow feel his pain, yet his spirit still shone true. I have the utmost respect for John McCain, a true American Hero and wish him the best.  I would hope that he would take the time to enjoy life more that this is over and perhaps he'll stop being such a workaholic and relax more.

Second there was Barack Obama. I was somewhat saddened at seeing him give his speech, not because he won, but because I was still sad about John McCains dreams being swept away. But as I listened, and I did so carefuly, I heard the things that I wanted to hear. I heard a man state he was grateful for EVERYONE who voted for him, and there were many of all colors that did. I heard him state that he wanted to unite this country and asked all of us now to pull together. I heard him state to those who didn't vote for him, he had hard to work to do, to gain their trust. I heard him praise John McCain as well, thanking him for his servive to his country. But what I heard most was a man, a man who is human. He will not be the perfect President, he will make mistakes along the way but will try his best to bring this country back to the forefront where it so righly deserves to be. I was touched by his humbleness and his love for his family as well. He made me hope that he could and would do right by this country. A country that just handed him the keys to the White House. A country that told him that they trusted him enough with their country to elect him to the most desired job in it. A country that has fallen and needs help getting up.

I pray that God watches over Mr. Obama and gives him guidance throughout the next four years as he is the man that I feel God has enabled to be our next President. Some may not like him, trust him, nor voted for him, but I feel all of us must give him the chance he deserves, just as we have given every man before him that same chance. None were perfect, none will be.  If you truly believe in God, then trust this was meant to be. All things happen for a reason, so has this.

P.S. Soon I'll be saying "Good bye Mr. Bush (aka "little white monkey). You've given me eight years of things to be angry at, laugh at, proud of and even ashamed of. But overall, I think you're a nice guy.