Editor’s note: this is a post about American Independence Day celebrations
existentialmemes
Alright, I’m going to launch explosives around your house. For several hours. Yes it is dangerous and terrible for wildlife and the environment. And yes your pets will get sick from eating the debris and you will feel terrorized inside your own home.
No you can’t opt out of it. Everyone is doing it and frankly it’s weird that you don’t want to.
No you can’t be the one launching the explosives you need a license for that. You can however launch these marginally smaller ones though. Yeah just whenever you want. 2am sounds great.
So anyway, fireworks were a mistake and it’s never too early to start reminding you of that.
Counterpoint
Playing with fire and blowing things up is fun if done responsibly. Really, given the kinds of annoyances that are legal year-round (drunkards, loud exhausts, barking dogs, late-night parties, yelling loudly etc.), it really isn’t that bad to have fire & explosions once per year for like… two hours. (Reiterating, responsibly)
I love fireworks! I like going to the big displays, I like hearing neighbors setting them off in the distance. It reminds us that even thought things kinda suck now, we can still have some fun.
This country has turned so rigid, it is so disappointing. No loud music, no firewoeks, no dance clubs, no outward displays of anything. Just go home buy stuff online and watch your screens quietly.
One night a year… Heh. It’s been going on for a month already at my sisters’ place
It depends on enforcement. Where I live it’s pretty strictly enforced. I do wish the big fireworks show was on the edge of town rather than in the middle of it but I still want the show. Just as responsibly as possible.
if the idiots would actually do that, it wouldn’t be a problem. instead it’s a two week window of booms and flaming bullshit DURING A HEATWAVE IN WILDFIRE SEASON.
how fucking dumb do they have to be, that this needs to be explained?
Where I am from, civilian fireworks are pretty much happening only during NYE. It is roughly 2 hours. The rest of the year fireworks are pretty much happening on some special shows or celebrations. You almost never hear fireworks the rest of the year.
Where I live now people like to shoot fireworks at random. I used to live near private small garden area and fireworks would fire on weekly basis all year long. It is even forbidden to do it at random, but that is not stopping people for some reason.
Wanted to add also that in my homeland fireworks are sold typically in hunting shops and I guess are strictly regulated while at the country I am at right now you can buy loads if fireworks in a grocery store if some sort of a festive celebration is around the corner.
oof sounds lovely.
in past years it’s been like this. I think that they tightened some of the sales because the world cup is in town, but we still have mortars and other shit going off two weeks before the 4th :|
there’s too few consequences for irresponsible assholes.
Okay then let’s do it only in winter when it gets dark early enough.
For some reason all the holidays happen when the day is long except new years which for has fireworks happening at midnight.
The laws are not made to minimize the downsides.
Where do you live where it’s only two hours?!?
Large town in Sweden. I’d say 95% is within the legal time span in our neighborhood and from what I’ve seen elsewhere it’s fairly similar.
This is excepting no-go zones & rougher neighborhoods, but in some of these areas they literally attack first responders with fireworks so I’m not counting them.
Agreed, but it is interesting to hear about its impact on the environment. Obviously it spooks pets and livestock. But what is it doing to the local flora and fauna? In some situations it probably kills birds through constant stress. And what about trees that are normally used to peace and quiet? They’re probably deaf now.
Oh honey. You think it’s for 2 hours? It’s roughly once an hour from the middle of June to the middle of July
I love this time of year. It drowns out the sound of gunfire.
fr, oh to live such a privileged life that the worst noise pollution you have to deal with is fireworks a couple of times per year.
Where do you live? That’s excessive.
Worst I’ve seen in rural Michigan, is occasional fireworks the week before and after the 4th.
Now that I’m in the suburbs? Maybe a day before and after. Eh, could be worse.
Kansas baby, deep red territory. It sucks here lmao
Doesn’t have to be deep red. Sacramento is fairly purple and they’ve been at it too. Same as every year.
Well, that’s how it is in my country, and mostly respected outside no-go zones :)
Slightly different per municipality, but in general it’s permitted 23-01 around the new year. Outside that, you need to apply to the police for permission.
Especially barking dogs.
All of whose owners, who let them bark 24/7 the other 364 days a year, go into full meltdown mode on social media over their poor pupper’s right to be catered to every 4th of July.