'Black Friday Creep' Spurs Online Petition Drives to 'Save Thanksgiving'

The trend for stores to open earlier and earlier to take advantage of Black Friday deals -- even to the point of opening in the evening on Thanksgiving Day -- has prompted an online petition drive to give Thanksgiving back to employees and their families.

West Des Moines readers: Do you work in retail and have to work Thanksgiving? Tell us in the comments section.

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Read More: 

Early Black Friday Deals in West Des Moines

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The original petition was reportedly created by a Target employee upset that the retail giant is opening on Thanksgiving and requiring employees to work instead of spending time with their families.

Target stores, including the store at West Glen Town Center, will open their doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

As of Tuesday morning, there are more than 179,000 signatures on the petition.

(Check out the petition here.)

A press release from Change.org reported that they have seen dozens of new petitions pop up about Black Friday hours.

"Following a Sears announcement last week that the company would open store doors at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, Change.org users launched more than 40 new petitions calling on retailers to allow families to spend Thanksgiving together and stick to Black Friday opening times," the press release stated.

Following are a few of the comments from West Des Moines Patch Facebook readers:

• “To each their own, but I honestly think it is a bit sad. While retail is a big part of my professional life, aren't we able to have a day without retail super sales? You could always count on three non-retail days - Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In some cases (and more all the time) they are just another day at the register. We all deserve a day of rest." - Jim Miller, Historic Valley Junction director

• "The best way for us all to take back our holidays is to simply not shop if they open on the holidays. If they lose money, they will retreat from that policy quickly." - Jeff Berger

• "This is my treat for cooking for 4 hours and sitting to eat it for 10 minutes!!" - Jan Clair

• "I think it is wrong to expect retail employees to work on Thanksgiving. People can wait until midnight. Some things should be sacred." - Cindy Helgason

• "I think it's awful. At some point people need to spend time with their family." - Tara Swoboda

• "Resist.. Holiday shopping has gotten out of control starting so early. Give those employees their holiday or the business should pay double time and make it voluntary if they Want to work...." - Molly Henriksen

The New York Daily News reported that "copycat" petitions have also been created asking Macy’s, Best Buy, Old Navy and Kohl’s to reconsider their plans to open at midnight on Thanksgiving.

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Here are just some of the more than 40 trending “Save Thanksgiving” petitions on Change.org:
https://www.change.org/petitions/target-take-the-high-road-and-save-thanksgiving
https://www.change.org/petitions/target-don-t-take-away-thanksgiving
https://www.change.org/petitions/sears-holdings-stop-sears-stores-from-opening-thanksgiving-day

What do you think? Are Black Friday specials getting out of hand and starting to replace the Thanksgiving holiday itself?