When shopping, be kind to others

Shoppers at the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, N.Y. -- just east of Kennedy International Airport -- are like shoppers everywhere. They like to find bargains, and they particularly like the special savings offered on the day after Thanksgiving.

More than 2,000 shoppers lined up outside the discount store Nov. 28 waiting for the doors to open. The frenzy quickly turned to deadly mayhem when the shoving crowd pushed down the door and trampled over the employee posted there. Several shoppers were injured, some of them while trying to aid 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour.

The lure of a great bargain is a powerful one. When hundreds of people want to get a good deal before the merchandise runs out, there are bound to be tussles. The physical dynamic of 2,000 people pushing through a store entrance is unbelievably powerful -- and unstoppable.

There is a lesson to be learned from this tragedy, and it is as simple as the Golden Rule: When shopping, treat other customers, store clerks, cashiers and greeters as you would like to be treated.