To: Governor Ralph Northam
Avoid shopping on Thanksgiving Day
Our intent is for this petition to challenge the developing trend of retailers creeping on the Thanksgiving holiday and opening Black Friday sales earlier and earlier. It is not our desire to negatively impact the economy, but only to ask that non-essential shopping be delayed one day of the year so that families may enjoy a day of gratitude together.
Why is this important?
The trend of retailers opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving Day and cutting into American families spending time together on this traditional holiday is a concern. The force of commerce taking priority and preying on workers affects families across the nation. We would like to reclaim the Thanksgiving holiday as one for families and encourage consumers to resist the merchant's desire to lengthen the retail season traditionally held before Christmas. With extended shopping hours already in place, this exerts increased stress on workers who cannot afford to take time off. We further feel that the shopping is for non-essential goods and can be delayed 24 hours without significant damage to either the economy or individual businesses. Thank you for supporting our petition and rejecting this trend.