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Playing with fire on the 4th of July
Filed under: Activities: Babies, Health & Safety: Babies
I have always loved the 4th of July fireworks. My birthday is July 5th and I spent my entire childhood believing that the yearly festivities were all about me. My family always spent the day barbecuing together and enjoying the fireworks display put on by the city. Those were some great times.
Where I live now, things are a bit different. There hasn't been a city-sponsored fireworks show in many years and lots of people simply leave town to go camping for the holiday. Those who stick around, however, like to put on their own show. As soon as the sun goes down, families all over this city head out to the streets to shoot off fireworks. In front of their homes. With their children.
My first experience with this reinforced my belief that this is terribly risky and somebody should put a stop to it. Two years ago, I sat in a neighbor's driveway with four little kids, watching the craziness from what I thought was a safe distance. When an errant rocket went whizzing past my head and smashed into the garage door behind me, I was done. I single-handedly picked up four little girls and ran into the house. Turns out that rocket was ignited by a three year old who was down the street playing with fire with his parents.
It really shook me up to know that one of us could have been blinded or worse. So, last year Ellie and I stayed in the house and watched the neighborhood show from an upstairs window. I was certain a rocket would land on our house and burn it down. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
This year, I was giving some serious thought to taking up camping myself. But a part of me is afraid to leave my home while my neighbors are outside shooting fire in the sky. This type of recreation is illegal where I come from and is something I will never get used to here. I don't think I am being paranoid, but many of my neighbors do. I don't care. I think they are crazy and somebody somewhere is going to pay a horrible price for a few minutes of fun. Does this sort of thing happen where you live?
Where I live now, things are a bit different. There hasn't been a city-sponsored fireworks show in many years and lots of people simply leave town to go camping for the holiday. Those who stick around, however, like to put on their own show. As soon as the sun goes down, families all over this city head out to the streets to shoot off fireworks. In front of their homes. With their children.
My first experience with this reinforced my belief that this is terribly risky and somebody should put a stop to it. Two years ago, I sat in a neighbor's driveway with four little kids, watching the craziness from what I thought was a safe distance. When an errant rocket went whizzing past my head and smashed into the garage door behind me, I was done. I single-handedly picked up four little girls and ran into the house. Turns out that rocket was ignited by a three year old who was down the street playing with fire with his parents.
It really shook me up to know that one of us could have been blinded or worse. So, last year Ellie and I stayed in the house and watched the neighborhood show from an upstairs window. I was certain a rocket would land on our house and burn it down. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
This year, I was giving some serious thought to taking up camping myself. But a part of me is afraid to leave my home while my neighbors are outside shooting fire in the sky. This type of recreation is illegal where I come from and is something I will never get used to here. I don't think I am being paranoid, but many of my neighbors do. I don't care. I think they are crazy and somebody somewhere is going to pay a horrible price for a few minutes of fun. Does this sort of thing happen where you live?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
6-20-2007 @ 2:11PM
Kathleen said...It's legal here (Canada) as far as I know but I'm with you in that I think it shouldn't be. It's very unsafe and I would never want my kids anywhere near it. We do have a city fireworks display though.
Reply
6-20-2007 @ 2:17PM
tammy said...I live in Florida and we have laws limiting the size(or power) of the blast that is allowed to be sold and/or used. I know of lots of people who cross the state line to get "illegal" fireworks for their celebrations. Currently, we are in a drought in my county and water restrictions have been enforced and a ban on fireworks is being recommended. They (county officials) do this to us every year and just in the nick-o-time (I'm sure do to social pressure) they lift the ban and people commence in blowing things up in their driveways.
In my particular neighborhood, the fireworks displays are so grand that it isn't necessary to attend a city sponsored event to get a great view of some spectacular fireworks. While I don't enjoy participating in the carnage (nor the price tag of some of these devises) I do enjoy the show. So I'm going to grab the lawn chairs and set-up camp on the front lawn and watch the neighbors risk their own lives.
Reply
6-20-2007 @ 3:01PM
M4Mommy said...In my state it is illegal to have any fireworks, even the sparklers! But every July 4th, and the week before and months after.. people are out the minute it gets dark setting them off.
when we were growing up we had horses on our property and the summer months were torturous to us and the horses. No one thinks. it's even worse now.
Reply
6-20-2007 @ 4:02PM
Maya said...I actually have a licensce to do the large sky shows that the city puts on... I took the year off during my pregnancy and was totally scared to death of what my neighbors were out playing with.. I swore I would never stay in town during the 4th ever again... Alcohol and Fireworks make it completely LETHAL!! Please be careful on the 4th!!!!!
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6-20-2007 @ 10:54PM
jenn said...Ugh, I hate fireworks. I live in SC and they're legal to buy here. Unfortunately, the 4-year-old daughter of a good friend of mine was badly burned this weekend by an errant firework someone lit in their driveway. Instead of going straight up, it went straight sideways and landed in her lap where she was sitting. She'll be in the burn unit for the next few weeks, with 2nd and 3rd degree burns requiring skin grafts over about 20% of her little body, and 1st degree burns over another 20%. It's just not worth it!
Reply
6-20-2007 @ 11:02PM
Ann Adams said...California allows safe and sane fireworks generally but leaves it up to the individual cities or counties. Some, particularly in dry areas, allow none.
We have sparklers and ground displays. Nothing else is legal unless it's a licensed performance.
That doesn't stop the illegals completely, but it helps.
Reply