Readers React: Black Friday and the gap between rich and poor

To the editor: What a revealing juxtaposition of articles on the front page of The Times. (“Black Friday highlights the contrast between rich and poor,” and “High-end home sales are surging in Southern California,” Nov. 23)

Above the fold in Monday’s paper, we learned that the market for multimillion-dollar homes is surging in the Southland. Below the fold we read about the poor who stand in long lines for bargains on Black Friday.

This illustrates the fact that America now has one of the most unequal distributions of wealth in the world among developed countries. In fact, the concentration of wealth at the top now rivals that of 1929.

Like the top-heavy ferry that tipped over in South Korea, this cannot last.

Bob Lentz, Sylmar

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To the editor: This article, though interesting, ignores the reason more people of all means are pushing back against the retailers (and their enabling shoppers) that are hijacking our national holiday of Thanksgiving. It’s not about prices but purpose and priorities.

Read any presidential Thanksgiving address. There is nothing about getting more stuff; it’s all about being thankful for what and who we already have in our lives.

No matter my current financial situation, if I can’t refrain from shopping for one day to pause and give thanks, I am doing harm to my individual and our national spirit.

John Saville, Corona

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