My personal opinion, I think it's ridiculous and I have never participated and never will. The only way I would shop would be to go online but not go to a physical store. I just read a story online yesterday where a guy shot his girlfriend and then killed himself in a Nordstrom's in Chicago. This was during black Friday. Needless to say, the people in the store were alarmed. The girlfriend is supposedly in the hospital.
Here's the other thing about black Friday. Stores have sales throughout the year, so it's not like if I miss a sale that one day that there won't be another one coming up. I'm looking forward to the after-Christmas sales. Not necessarily to buy for others, but for myself. I don't get to buy much for myself so that time will be a treat for me.