Monday, June 28, 2004
Big Brother DOES Know Better Sometimes
Hello everyone! The Fourth of July is fast approaching, and along with it comes fireworks. From huge, orchestrated light shows put on by companies, to kids burning sparklers in their back yards, America is ga-ga over fireworks during the celebration of its independence.
Fireworks are a brilliant way to celebrate any occasion. The brightness of the colored light and the loudness of the booms and fizzing all demand attention. Even as an adult I still find myself amused by what amounts to nothing more than the igniting of flammable powder.
But there is a dark side to fireworks. In many areas of the country, it is illegal to purchase, possess, or use fireworks. These locations are usually those who experience either dry climates (we don't want any fires running amok), or areas where population density is a problem (we don't want any injuries). Here in Council Bluffs, only the most mild fireworks are legal. Yet, 30 minutes away you can freely buy glorious fireworks of all sorts (even the revered bottle rocket).
So, it is no surprise that people choose to shun the law and buy fireworks. Two weeks before July 4th the noises start to echo through the neighborhoods. The police, for the most part, turn a blind eye to fireworks during the week surrounding Independence Day. Large fountains pour sparks all over the street, mighty rockets scream into the air, and giant firecrackers equaling a partial stick of dynamite dig craters into lawns.
But these same fireworks also injure many users. Every year you hear stories about near misses, minor injuries, and even a rare serious mishap. Just tonight, in Omaha, a 15 year old boy blew off three of his fingers, and injured his arm severely.
The public, it seems, cannot be responsible with its fireworks. Children and adults alike do not fear or respect the power of fireworks enough to wield them safely. A friend of mine (an EMT and volunteer fireman) engages in fireworks fights every year with his brothers and friends. Not only are they handling dangerous items, they are pointing/throwing them at one another.
The city government bans these fireworks for this very reason. Every year people complain and whine about the law. Many risk smuggling fireworks into the area, often being pulled over on the interstate only to have their supply taken by the police. Even I used to think that the city should just "lighten up" for a few days.
But I remember the times I have seen or been a apart of fireworks mishaps. For instance, as a teenager I once had a firecracker thrown at my head. It ignited inches from my left ear. It was a small firework, about 1 inch long, but it knocked me out. The concussion from the explosion sent a pain through my head I have never felt again (thankfully). I remember falling, and hearing an unholy ringing, then blacking out. A fraction of a distance closer and I may have lost my hearing altogether.
Then there is the time that a kid I know in high school tried to hold fireworks as long as he could before being hurt. It was a game of macho ignorance, as he held ignited fireworks until a fraction of a second before they blew. This same kid was shooting roman candles from his hand when the firework misfired out of a weak spot in the shaft. The fireball struck his face, burning him badly as it reported with a loud "bang!"
There are countless other stories; lessons to learn for the rest of us. Fireworks are dangerous, and need to be handled safely and with fear. But too many people fail to ever acknowledge the responsibility needed for prevailed such as this. People drive their cars recklessly, play with firearms, keep dangerous pets, and abuse harmful drugs.
For this reason, the government steps in. The popular thing to say is that the government is too big, that it is being "Big Brother" as in Orwell's 1984. Unfortunately, they have to. People are not smart enough to handle danger. These privileges become a matter of public safety. In many cases, the government is protecting us from ourselves.
So before you get angry about a fireworks ordinance this Independance Day, try to look at it from a different angle. Think of the trouble that the laws help us avoid. There will always be those who break the laws, but the boy who lost his fingers tonight was in a zone that permitted firework use. A law against usage may have saved him from his own carelessness.
The same goes for speed limits. Seat belt laws. Controlled substance prohibitions. Automobile restrictions. Age requirements for alcohol use. And so on. The government is a lot of things, but it is not wholly evil. It is trying to do a very practical and hard job... Providing a safe and pleasant environment for the most people it can. Stop complaining about big government and Big Brother, and learn to enjoy the many freedoms we have that we ignore (and subsequently can't eliminate digits from our bodies).
See ya!
Fireworks are a brilliant way to celebrate any occasion. The brightness of the colored light and the loudness of the booms and fizzing all demand attention. Even as an adult I still find myself amused by what amounts to nothing more than the igniting of flammable powder.
But there is a dark side to fireworks. In many areas of the country, it is illegal to purchase, possess, or use fireworks. These locations are usually those who experience either dry climates (we don't want any fires running amok), or areas where population density is a problem (we don't want any injuries). Here in Council Bluffs, only the most mild fireworks are legal. Yet, 30 minutes away you can freely buy glorious fireworks of all sorts (even the revered bottle rocket).
So, it is no surprise that people choose to shun the law and buy fireworks. Two weeks before July 4th the noises start to echo through the neighborhoods. The police, for the most part, turn a blind eye to fireworks during the week surrounding Independence Day. Large fountains pour sparks all over the street, mighty rockets scream into the air, and giant firecrackers equaling a partial stick of dynamite dig craters into lawns.
But these same fireworks also injure many users. Every year you hear stories about near misses, minor injuries, and even a rare serious mishap. Just tonight, in Omaha, a 15 year old boy blew off three of his fingers, and injured his arm severely.
The public, it seems, cannot be responsible with its fireworks. Children and adults alike do not fear or respect the power of fireworks enough to wield them safely. A friend of mine (an EMT and volunteer fireman) engages in fireworks fights every year with his brothers and friends. Not only are they handling dangerous items, they are pointing/throwing them at one another.
The city government bans these fireworks for this very reason. Every year people complain and whine about the law. Many risk smuggling fireworks into the area, often being pulled over on the interstate only to have their supply taken by the police. Even I used to think that the city should just "lighten up" for a few days.
But I remember the times I have seen or been a apart of fireworks mishaps. For instance, as a teenager I once had a firecracker thrown at my head. It ignited inches from my left ear. It was a small firework, about 1 inch long, but it knocked me out. The concussion from the explosion sent a pain through my head I have never felt again (thankfully). I remember falling, and hearing an unholy ringing, then blacking out. A fraction of a distance closer and I may have lost my hearing altogether.
Then there is the time that a kid I know in high school tried to hold fireworks as long as he could before being hurt. It was a game of macho ignorance, as he held ignited fireworks until a fraction of a second before they blew. This same kid was shooting roman candles from his hand when the firework misfired out of a weak spot in the shaft. The fireball struck his face, burning him badly as it reported with a loud "bang!"
There are countless other stories; lessons to learn for the rest of us. Fireworks are dangerous, and need to be handled safely and with fear. But too many people fail to ever acknowledge the responsibility needed for prevailed such as this. People drive their cars recklessly, play with firearms, keep dangerous pets, and abuse harmful drugs.
For this reason, the government steps in. The popular thing to say is that the government is too big, that it is being "Big Brother" as in Orwell's 1984. Unfortunately, they have to. People are not smart enough to handle danger. These privileges become a matter of public safety. In many cases, the government is protecting us from ourselves.
So before you get angry about a fireworks ordinance this Independance Day, try to look at it from a different angle. Think of the trouble that the laws help us avoid. There will always be those who break the laws, but the boy who lost his fingers tonight was in a zone that permitted firework use. A law against usage may have saved him from his own carelessness.
The same goes for speed limits. Seat belt laws. Controlled substance prohibitions. Automobile restrictions. Age requirements for alcohol use. And so on. The government is a lot of things, but it is not wholly evil. It is trying to do a very practical and hard job... Providing a safe and pleasant environment for the most people it can. Stop complaining about big government and Big Brother, and learn to enjoy the many freedoms we have that we ignore (and subsequently can't eliminate digits from our bodies).
See ya!
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