Occupy Walmarts vs. Occupy Wall St.

Let's see if all those Republicans who called the Zuccotti Park occupiers "pigs" have a similar reaction to American capitalists at their best--rioting in Walmarts trying to get the best bargains for themselves. Reports are arriving from all parts of our country of attacks, mainly in Walmarts or at malls, during Black Thursday/Black Friday madness. And the day has just begun.  Here is one report from the Los Angeles Times:

"In Porter Ranch, a woman pepper sprayed customers at a Wal-Mart in what authorities say was a deliberate attempt to get more "door buster" merchandise. In San Leandro, a Wal-Mart shopper walking to his car was shot and wounded in a suspected robbery early Friday.

Another shooting was reported at a parking lot next to a Wal-Mart in South Carolina, also a suspected robbery attempt. Officials told WMBF-TV they believe the robbery was tied to Black Friday.

At Porter Ranch, 20 customers, including children, were hurt in the 10:10 p.m. incident, officials said. Shoppers complained of minor skin and eye irritation and sore throats.

"This was customer-versus-customer 'shopping rage,'" said Los Angeles Police Lt. Abel Parga.

The woman used the spray in more than one area of the Wal-Mart "to gain preferred access to a variety of locations in the store," said Los Angeles Fire Capt. James Carson.

"She was competitive shopping," he said.

Police are searching for the woman but said they've had trouble getting a clear description of her.

Black Friday sales began at the Wal-Mart at 10 p.m. and featured sales on toys, including $5 Bratz dolls, $10 Wii video games and $29 tricycles. 

Witness Matthew Lopez described a chaotic scene in the San Fernando Valley store among shoppers looking for video games soon after the sale began.

"I heard screaming and I heard yelling," said Lopez, 18. "Moments later, my throat stung. I was coughing really bad and watering up."

Lopez said customers were already in the store when a whistle signaled the start of the Black Friday sale at 10 p.m., sending shoppers hurtling in search of deeply discounted items.

Lopez said that by the time he arrived at the video games, the display had been torn down. Employees attempted to hold back the scrum of shoppers and pick up merchandise even as customers trampled the video games and DVDs strewn on the floor.

"It was absolutely crazy," he said.

The right (and left) media keep insisting that the Occupy Wall St. movement needs to stand for something.  It does.  Courtesy, inclusion, and non-violence are three of the old-fashioned virtues the occupiers demonstrated while living in Zuccotti Park.  How about demanding this of all Americans, that we be trained (or retrained) in the simple virtues of courtesy, humility, and humanity.  And before we enter the classroom, let's check our guns, pepper spray, and vulgarity at the door. Egyptians and Syrians fight, and die, for human rights.  Americans fight for video games, TVs, and DVDs.  Egypt has Tahrir Square.  We have Walmarts.  American exceptionalism!