GRRR! Let's outlaw fireworks...!!

[SC_Hoaty]

To unlicensed citizens that is. They are not legal inside town but people shoot them off, scaring pets, causing fires, and just being rude at late hours.

Great for shows by licensed professionals, but not for juveniles of any age.

So you want to make them MORE illegal, or what?

Classic case of plenty of law, not enough enforcement.

Calling for more law is the WRONG solution.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

So you want to make them MORE illegal, or what?

Classic case of plenty of law, not enough enforcement.

Calling for more law is the WRONG solution.

... and calling for law enforcement is a waste of time. Don lives in Texas ... he could just shoot the bassads ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Wookie]

The problem is that no matter what you "allow", there are always those who will push well beyond any semblance of reasonable, those who are intentionally in your face, and the classic American "f**k you" syndrome, just because they can. Those are the folks who ruin it for everyone else.

Got a guy who lives a street over from me like that. He's been blowing off fireworks now for a week. Starts as soon as it gets dark ... which is about 10 PM here this time of year ... and goes till it's too light out in the morning to see 'em anymore. Nevermind that it's illegal in my neighborhood ... call the cops and they just tell you they don't have the resources to do anything about it. These aren't small fireworks either ... he lives a block away and I can feel the concussions on some of them ... and every year I have to go clean some spent casings off my roof. If this year's like past ones, he'll continue to blow them off for another few days ... then we'll have peace and quiet until about December 20th ... when he begins his New Year's celebration.

All the neighbors hate the dude ... but like honey badger, he don't give a sh!t. He's gonna exercise his "freedom" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

When I lived in Texas, lots of folks would shoot their guns instead of fireworks. This led to many children being shot in the top of the head when the round fell to earth. This, in turn led to most folks staying inside instead of being out shooting off fireworks. Don, you have your work cut out for you.

 

[SC_Hoaty]

... and calling for law enforcement is a waste of time. Don lives in Texas ... he could just shoot the bassads ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

When I lived in NM, a 10 time DUI offender killed a family in dramatic fashion (driving wrong way on interstate before Chistmas - imagine twisted metal and scattered presents on the evening news). The citizens demanded action, so the legislature lowered the legal BAC.

I don't know which idiot thought the problem was that the cops had stopped him, and had to let him go because he wasn't drunk enough - because that is the only situation that law would have helped in preventing the incident. I mean, they had already arrested him TEN FRICKIN' TIMES!

If the officers were as concerned about public safety as they are about covering up their screw-ups, things would be a bit happier.

 

[DandyDon]

So you want to make them MORE illegal, or what?

Classic case of plenty of law, not enough enforcement.

Calling for more law is the WRONG solution.

Yep, restrict sales to licensed professionals.

... and calling for law enforcement is a waste of time. Don lives in Texas ... he could just shoot the bassads ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Too tempting...!

When I lived in Texas, lots of folks would shoot their guns instead of fireworks. This led to many children being shot in the top of the head when the round fell to earth. This, in turn led to most folks staying inside instead of being out shooting off fireworks. Don, you have your work cut out for you.

Yeah, it could be worse.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

When I lived in NM, a 10 time DUI offender killed a family in dramatic fashion (driving wrong way on interstate before Chistmas - imagine twisted metal and scattered presents on the evening news). The citizens demanded action, so the legislature lowered the legal BAC.

I don't know which idiot thought the problem was that the cops had stopped him, and had to let him go because he wasn't drunk enough - because that is the only situation that law would have helped in preventing the incident. I mean, they had already arrested him TEN FRICKIN' TIMES!

If the officers were as concerned about public safety as they are about covering up their screw-ups, things would be a bit happier.

... well, you KNOW you're preachin' to the choir on that topic ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added July 8th, 2013 at 03:09 PM ----------

When I lived in Texas, lots of folks would shoot their guns instead of fireworks. This led to many children being shot in the top of the head when the round fell to earth. This, in turn led to most folks staying inside instead of being out shooting off fireworks. Don, you have your work cut out for you.

A few years ago there was a well-publicized local story ... a couple guys at a party celebrating New Years by shooting AK47's out over Lake Washington. These dumb-asses were drunk, and for good measure they not only video'd each other firing the guns out over the lake (in the direction of some pretty heavily populated neighborhoods) ... they emailed the video to people they knew.

Well, they got famous ... and arrested.

No laws were changed ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SC_Hoaty]

... well, you KNOW you're preachin' to the choir on that topic ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

And kinda the reason I cited a lack of enforcement as the problem - vs. calling the cops. The approach to getting laws followed needs some work.

 

[mdb]

In my local small community fireworks are illegal. It does not matter for some parents. They go up or down a town a two and buy fireworks for their kids.

As a Vietnam vet I do not like the 4th of july. Someone throwing firecrackers in my driveway does get my attention. A year or so ago a local kid was running
down our usually peaceful street and throwing his pyro's around and yelling. I intercepted the lad and we marched up to his house. It was a little after midnight.

I knocked on the door several times before his Dad answered. I had a short talk with his Father. No further problems these last holidays.

 

[DandyDon]

And kinda the reason I cited a lack of enforcement as the problem - vs. calling the cops. The approach to getting laws followed needs some work.

You need to change that at the ballot box. In Texas, we lock them up much faster and longer - unfortunately with less SA treatment than under Gov Ann Richards. Gov Hair is retiring tho, so maybe we can get a jump.

In my local small community fireworks are illegal. It does not matter for some parents. They go up or down a town a two and buy fireworks for their kids.

As a Vietnam vet I do not like the 4th of july. Someone throwing firecrackers in my driveway does get my attention. A year or so ago a local kid was running
down our usually peaceful street and throwing his pyro's around and yelling. I intercepted the lad and we marched up to his house. It was a little after midnight.

I knocked on the door several times before his Dad answered. I had a short talk with his Father. No further problems these last holidays.

Nice idea if it doesn't backfire. I could have gone out in the dark to argue, but felt I was safer just whining here.

 

[tracydr]

I can't understand why they're legal in AZ with all the fire problems we have. One day somebody's going to burn the whole state down with them.
4th of July is usually right before our monsoon season starts, when we have tinder dry, hot weather and wind/dust storms in the evening. Just about the worst kind of weather to be playing "chicken" with. Look at the horrible fire last week that killed 19 firefighters. It was lightning caused, basically a dry lightening storm, common at this time of year.
Bad time for people to be camping and playing with matches/fireworks and fire in general.