Every year shoppers flood the malls the day after Thanksgiving in order to be the first in line to start grabbing goodies for the holiday season. This fateful event that draws apprehensive beads of sweat on the brows of both shoppers and shop owners alike is known as Black Friday.

For years, the infamous term associated with the consumer “holiday” referred to the horrendous lines of credit card-wielding shoppers clawing at each other in their battle for the last Hannah Montana karaoke machine.

This year, however, it was widely believed that the anemic state of the economy would help alleviate the horrors of Black Friday. Well, for residents of Long Island, NY, the lighter weight of their wallets this year just made early morning bargain deals at Wal-Mart that much more important.

So much so, in fact, that the angry horde of about 2,000 people waiting outside at 5 a.m. literally burst through the entrance as the employee attempted to open the door.

The employee was knocked to the ground, and the door was reduced to scrap metal as impatient people started clamoring into the store. The sale-hungry monsters were so captivated by the sight of immense savings that they simply crawled over the human obstruction lying in their way. Fellow employees tried to rally rescue teams to help their fallen comrade, but the sea of green-eyed beasts was too much. When the dust had settled enough to reach the unfortunate man, an ambulance was called. But Jdimytai Damour was dead before he reached the hospital.

Stop what you’re doing right now — be it eating your pasta in the HUB, ignoring your bio-chem professor’s lecture or staring at that girl who doesn’t know you exist ­— and think about just how sick it is that a man was trampled to death by shoppers invading a Wal-Mart.

This means the 2,000 people involved in this atrocity believed the 15 cents they would have saved on a 12-pack of Christmas-tree shaped peanut butter cups meant more to them than the life of a fellow human being. If there was ever a glaring sign of the deterioration of the moral fabric of our society, this is it.

To make matters even worse, when the Wal-Mart tried to close after the tragic event, shoppers refused to leave. Apparently, some had been in line since early Thursday morning. Is this really what we have been reduced to — mindless consumers who view the holiday season as nothing more than a chance to take advantage of bargain shopping at any cost? These people not only gave no thought to the fact they were at least partially involved in someone’s senseless death, but gave up Thanksgiving with their families in order to be the first ones to step on the poor guy.

Nothing about this event even remotely resembles the spirit this time of year is supposed to bring. After hearing about it, I had all but lost hope in the goodness of people. With the bitter taste still lingering in my mouth, I stumbled upon a story that managed to partially restore my faith.

Earlier this year, a small family-owned ball bearing company in Illinois was bought out. But instead of spreading the profit among the invested family members, $6.6 million was distributed among the 230 members of the company as a “Christmas bonus.”

Each employee received a hand-written note from the CEO along with a 5-figure monetary amount based on time spent with the company. Some received as much as $35,000. Needless to say, the employees were overwhelmed by the gesture.

What is the lesson to take away from these stories? It is that we all need to take time to reflect on what really matters in life. Is the acquisition of a cheap product worth denying a man many years worth of memories and experiences? Does the extra padding to a plush bank account outweigh the warmth felt when you know you have truly made a difference in someone’s life? In the end, your life is not measured by the accumulation of your spoils, but rather by the positive impact you have had on others.

As we all disperse next week to our respective corners of the world, try to embody the real holiday spirit. Embrace the importance of love and true happiness by giving and acting selflessly. People, not objects, are what matter most in this world.

Good luck with finals, everyone, and have a terrific break.

Reach columnist Jeff Dickson at opinion@dailyuw.com.