Another year, another Black Friday in the books. And only a few people died! It’s an early Christmas miracle!

I’ve seen a ton of different opinions in the last couple days about the merits (and demerits) of starting Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day itself. Some people love the idea because they get more time to do their holiday shopping, or because it gives them an escape from their families after the traditional meal is done. Others hate the idea of commercialism intruding on what they believe is a wholesome family holiday, especially if it means more people have to work because of it.

I’m not really a guy who operates in extremes, so I find myself in the middle of all this. I’m not sure I like the trend of stores opening as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, not because the evening is such an intrusion on Thanksgiving, but because I worry where we’ll stop now that the invisible Thursday line has been breached. It’s a virtual lock that we’ll see stores opening around the same time next year, but who’s to say that the start time won’t be 6 or 7 p.m.? Or worse? Stores love to get a leg up in any way they can, and it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that retailers will eventually look to turn Black Friday into Black Thursday as well.

I’ve also seen people posting on Facebook that Black Friday is a great big scam from greedy corporations who only want to steal your money. Some websites pointed out that a lot of the front-page deals are often from cheap brand names, or that they come with tiny text saying “at least 3 available per store!” Spoiler alert: As a consumer, you’re responsible for paying attention to the things you buy. Sure, some companies might be a little bit underhanded with their tactics, but if you’re making a big purchase like a television, shouldn’t you be doing enough research to make sure that your investment is well spent? Maybe I’m just talking crazy talk.

Personally, I’d split the difference: open stores at midnight instead of the early hours of the morning. Retailers get more time out of the arrangement than they did in years past, and it still preserves the so-called sanctity of Turkey Day. But like most things in our country these days, I’m sure the only thing that’ll happen next year is that supporters of both sides will be even louder and more obstinate that their cause is the correct one.

Me? I’ll be shopping for a handful of deals online from the comfort of my own home while people tear each other apart.