I'm not a fan of fireworks. I get that most cities and towns across the country have displays in celebration of Independence Day and throughout the year ballparks and theme parks shoot off their own bright and booming explosions of color. Outside of these things, which I can typically avoid by simply not being present, the constant barrage of noise from surrounding neighborhoods is unnecessary.
Aside from the fact that I just don't enjoy the jarring experience of suddenly hearing sounds akin to gunfire, I empathize with veterans suffering from PTSD and animals alike. The need to fire off random rounds of noise-making for fun is juvenile, at best. The fact that Maine legalized possession and use of fireworks by its residents still makes no real sense to me. Put aside the nuisance factor, there's still the safety aspect. How many people get injured and maimed due to inexperience, lack of knowledge and outright stupidity? And who in the hell thought that piece of legislature was okay to pass? Fireworks, no matter how small they are, are explosives. These things should only be handled by trained professionals.
Statistics state that an average of 10,500 injuries were the result of fireworks in 2014. Over 7,700 of these injuries were treated in the weeks just prior, during and just after the 4th of July. Children lost fingers, parts of their hand, and have the highest rate of emergency treatment. Think that sparklers are a safe bet? From my own experience with my youngest son and ex-husband (the porch swing was scorched and Riley's little hand was burned - thankfully, not seriously), they are anything but. There were 1400 sparkler-related injuries in 2014 (cpsc.gov, 2014). In comparison to the nation's nearly 319 million, these numbers may seem small, but the issue isn't how many people get injured, it is the fact that it is possible to happen at all.
This is a completely different argument than firearms. There is absolutely no benefit to untrained citizens possessing fireworks. They do not protect a person from anything or anyone, and they are inherently dangerous. The noise they create is traumatizing to children, animals and veterans. How selfish to set them off without ever considering the impact the noise has on those around you. Of course, that is the new American way. Selfish, arrogant, careless behavior. A nation of narcissists.
I am adamantly against the general public being able to procure fireworks. While there are some who may be more responsible than others, the attitude toward these explosives is quite lax. People leave them within reach of children, set them off around children, don't properly pick up and discard the refuse or defective duds, leaving them for animals and others to find and potentially get hurt by. There is little to no thought about the impact the noise and lights can cause to others in the immediate vicinity and the repercussions of it all lingers far longer than the smoke.
I am all for celebrating the birth of our country, the day we won our independence from England. I just think we should leave the explosive displays up to those who have at least some amount of training and where fire departments are standing by. There would be far less injury and it would be much easier for those who are adversely affected by the noise to avoid being nearby - or at the very least prepare for it. I wish that more people would consider the ramifications of their actions.
Until that day, I'll continue to stand against open sales of fireworks and likely avoid participating in that part of this and all future 4th of July celebrations. I don't need the shock and awe to realize what a priviledge it is to have been born in a free nation. No matter how many idiots I'm surrounded by.
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