Editorial
Season without regret
This November Thanksgiving has approached with almost

startling swiftness. With just a little under week until Turkey Day, this year's holiday, celebrated next week on Nov. 23, is the earliest it could ever be in November as Thanksgiving is always celebrated in the United States the fourth Thursday of the month.

With that in mind, it should be important to remember at the start of yet another holiday season that regardless of how a person spends their holidays that safety and respect should be a top priority.

For most, this is a time of year for celebration and giving thanks. Individuals reminisce with those they love, remember those they have lost and appreciate life. In many parts of the U.S., the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and pubs, as it is the first night back to their hometowns for many college students. In the hopes of keeping the holidays a time of joy for everyone, remember that while having a good time with friends and family is pleasurable and often cathartic, all our actions have consequences.

For each person who goes out Wednesday, there are brothers and sisters, parents and friends who love them and want a happy future with them. Celebrating safely, with designated drivers, with self-imposed limits and with respect for every individual in the room can ensure that at the end of the evening and at the end of the season, there will be no regrets and a continued reason to be thankful.

That same respect should extend should extend to the day after Thanksgiving, when you head out to purchase that one-of-a-kind gift for your special someone. It's unfortunate the day after a warm and honorable holiday is called "Black Friday." It seems that as long as "Black Friday" has existed so have obscene images of people fighting over toys, over TVs - over nothing.

Bargains and product can change perspectives and thwart even the best intentions, so much so that the meaning of giving is lost.

This year, let us all try to avoid heartbreak and chaos, and remember the families and the homes that are affected by our actions large and small.