Post by debutante on Jul 2, 2018 1:00:29 GMT -5
I was a little surprised (and annoyed) to see a commercial for fireworks today. They've been illegal (except for "sparklers" since I was a little girl. With people constantly wishing to overturn laws nowadays -- I'm wondering if I missed something. Are fireworks legal once again?
I certainly hope not. I was never much into them even as a child. They might have been illegal, but there were kids in the neighborhood who somehow managed to get their hands on things and sold them for inflated prices to their friends. The only ones I really liked (although I was afraid to come near them) were sky rockets and these tiny little firecrackers that were about a half inch long and very thin. Even then I was terrified to actually light them...I was afraid of getting hurt.
I guess boys were (and probably still are) more brave or more stupid than girls. They were never satisfied with the small stuff. They were willing to pay $10 for a single M-80 (and this was in the early 60's). Cherry bombs went for $5 apiece -- and between those and the M-80's the kids who sold them (illegally) made a small fortune around the 4th of July.
I always thought they were dangerous. Especially, when my brother almost blew his hand off when he was ten. Thank God it was a regular firecracker that he picked up -- the bigger things would have done serious damage for sure. In typical ten year old fashion -- here's this kid who was messing around with something he shouldn't have had -- and the first thing out of his mouth (in the midst of pain) was "oh ****! I have a clarinet lesson later today -- what am I going to do?" (He was, by the way, extremely talented having won numerous competition medals -- so it was a real concern for him)
I remember thinking how stupid he was -- picking it up after several minutes passed thinking it was a "dud". Anyhow...lesson learned, he never touched fireworks after that time. I should mention here that my parents didn't know he had obtained them from the kids who did seasonal business. They would have given him hell if they had known.
Anyhow...in view of this experience I witnessed -- I was even more against fireworks after that date. I won't even leave the house on the 4th of July -- because people light and throw the things without looking. Some years, Chicago is like a war zone.
But now that they're showing commercials on TV for fireworks -- I am very upset. Those are dangerous and any laws that were passed were done so for public safety. If they have repealed these laws -- why wasn't the public informed? I'd like to feel that saner minds prevail -- but so many goofy laws are being passed lately that anything is possible.
People can have fun on the 4th without blowing this stuff off. I remember when I lived in the city a group of teenage guys down the block would get smashed and hold an impromptu "parade" in the middle of the street at 2AM.
They'd dig out somebody's boat (on wheels) and use it like their own personal float. And they'd be singing patriotic songs as they did this -- it was truly a sight to behold (very funny because they were always very drunk).
I'm more the quiet barbecue type -- so I'm already planning my holiday menu. And of course, I'll watch "Yankee Doodle Dandy" just to see James Cagney do his dance.
If there is a point to all this rambling (and I'm not sure I have one exactly....) it would probably be to be especially careful this year. I don't think they'd be advertising fireworks unless the law was changed and I never heard about it.
I, of course, would have voted against making them legal (if I had been given an opportunity). Once you've seen how easy it is for a kid to make a major mistake, you're not willing to let them into any child's hands.
My husband (who for many years worked the ER on the 4th -- hates fireworks with a passion.) He saw some terrible injuries.
I guess I always thought people would be satisfied with the public displays they have run by people who know how to handle them safely. I never thought I'd see commercials for purchasing fireworks in my lifetime.
--Debutante
I certainly hope not. I was never much into them even as a child. They might have been illegal, but there were kids in the neighborhood who somehow managed to get their hands on things and sold them for inflated prices to their friends. The only ones I really liked (although I was afraid to come near them) were sky rockets and these tiny little firecrackers that were about a half inch long and very thin. Even then I was terrified to actually light them...I was afraid of getting hurt.
I guess boys were (and probably still are) more brave or more stupid than girls. They were never satisfied with the small stuff. They were willing to pay $10 for a single M-80 (and this was in the early 60's). Cherry bombs went for $5 apiece -- and between those and the M-80's the kids who sold them (illegally) made a small fortune around the 4th of July.
I always thought they were dangerous. Especially, when my brother almost blew his hand off when he was ten. Thank God it was a regular firecracker that he picked up -- the bigger things would have done serious damage for sure. In typical ten year old fashion -- here's this kid who was messing around with something he shouldn't have had -- and the first thing out of his mouth (in the midst of pain) was "oh ****! I have a clarinet lesson later today -- what am I going to do?" (He was, by the way, extremely talented having won numerous competition medals -- so it was a real concern for him)
I remember thinking how stupid he was -- picking it up after several minutes passed thinking it was a "dud". Anyhow...lesson learned, he never touched fireworks after that time. I should mention here that my parents didn't know he had obtained them from the kids who did seasonal business. They would have given him hell if they had known.
Anyhow...in view of this experience I witnessed -- I was even more against fireworks after that date. I won't even leave the house on the 4th of July -- because people light and throw the things without looking. Some years, Chicago is like a war zone.
But now that they're showing commercials on TV for fireworks -- I am very upset. Those are dangerous and any laws that were passed were done so for public safety. If they have repealed these laws -- why wasn't the public informed? I'd like to feel that saner minds prevail -- but so many goofy laws are being passed lately that anything is possible.
People can have fun on the 4th without blowing this stuff off. I remember when I lived in the city a group of teenage guys down the block would get smashed and hold an impromptu "parade" in the middle of the street at 2AM.
They'd dig out somebody's boat (on wheels) and use it like their own personal float. And they'd be singing patriotic songs as they did this -- it was truly a sight to behold (very funny because they were always very drunk).
I'm more the quiet barbecue type -- so I'm already planning my holiday menu. And of course, I'll watch "Yankee Doodle Dandy" just to see James Cagney do his dance.
If there is a point to all this rambling (and I'm not sure I have one exactly....) it would probably be to be especially careful this year. I don't think they'd be advertising fireworks unless the law was changed and I never heard about it.
I, of course, would have voted against making them legal (if I had been given an opportunity). Once you've seen how easy it is for a kid to make a major mistake, you're not willing to let them into any child's hands.
My husband (who for many years worked the ER on the 4th -- hates fireworks with a passion.) He saw some terrible injuries.
I guess I always thought people would be satisfied with the public displays they have run by people who know how to handle them safely. I never thought I'd see commercials for purchasing fireworks in my lifetime.
--Debutante
