Now Fireworks Are Bad? What Next?

JSOnline ^ | July 4, 2008 | Mike Nichols

[Diana in Wisconsin]

First, it was cow gas that was wrecking the environment.

Then gas-powered lawnmowers.

Now, it’s fireworks we’re supposed to worry about.

Fireworks, it was reported this week, are helping ruin both the Earth and our health.

Where most of us looked up at the sky last night and saw red, white and blue, some people, it seems, saw only the first.

Fireworks, some scientists are warning, are toxic, and you know what’s next. All those “ooohhhhhhhs” and “aaahhhhhhhhhhs” will soon be “booooos” and “baaaaaaaaahs.”

Except that people, many people, have had enough of “Enough.”

“No matter what you do, something is wrong with it,” said Jeff Thielke, a Germantown guy buying some fireworks with his family at the American Fireworks tent off Highway 41 in Washington County. “Even though some of these things have been done for hundreds of years probably.

“We do it (shoot off fireworks) once a year with the kids. It’s one of the few times to relax a little bit.”

Except that this is America. We’re not supposed to relax. We’ll get so relaxed, we are led to believe, we’ll fall asleep and leave the stove on or forget to breathe or something. Or forget to turn off the air conditioner and freeze to death.

Speaking of which, if you really are worried about the environment, “you should be more worried about turning your air conditioner on than lighting off fireworks,” said Matt Reiter, manager of the tent.

The tent sells all sorts of neat stuff, including sparklers and snakes and (my personal favorite) an exploding hat.

I suppose somebody will call and tell me an exploding hat is far too dangerous to tolerate. Somebody might drink too much beer and try to wear it on their head.

If so, I hope to get a picture.

But I digress. The story the other day was about big fireworks displays that release heavy metals and particulates and perchlorates and carbon monoxide and nitrogen and, man, I’m breaking out just typing the words. It was not about the little backyard stuff that many places have already outlawed.

Small backyard displays, nevertheless, are still primarily the ones that drive authorities crazy.

A guy by the name of George Oberlander knows that. Last Fourth of July up in Weston, Oberlander was asked to step down from the Planning Commission after shooting off fireworks in his yard.

Somebody, it seems, thought the way he celebrated our form of government made him unfit to be a part of our form of government.

Somewhere, clearly, we’ve gone astray.

Sure, fireworks can be slightly dangerous. Most things worth enjoying have the same problem.

For instance, I stopped by a great cheese and sausage place after buying my snakes and sparklers and brought home some cheese curds for the kids.

“Do you know how bad these are for our health?” the oldest one asked.

“Do you know how good these are for our mouths?” the second one retorted.

The first one thought it over and not only agreed, but one-upped him. Cheese curds, she decided, “are good for the soul.”

We spend too little time acknowledging that.

And way too much finding things to fear.

[basil]

As I watched the spectacular fireworks in our little town last night, I wondered how long it would be before some idiot would be telling us how bad fireworks are.

Didn't take too long..........

[stefanbatory]

Mike Nichols is one of the few writers at the urinal sentimental whom I actually enjoy reading...:)

[bikerman]

I did my part to piss off a liberal, took my grandson to the fireworks display in a nearby town last night going to another tonight, blew off about $25 worth in my backyard,tonight might fire off my shotgun for the extra push to drive a liberal nuts.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

What’s Next?

Flatscreen televisions fuel increase in global warming
By John Bingham
Last Updated: 6:01pm BST 02/07/2008

The boom in flatscreen television could be fuelling global warming more than official estimates, scientists have warned.

Experts in California estimate that production of a powerful greenhouse gas used in their production has hit 4,000 tonnes a year - enough to match the annual carbon dioxide emissions of Austria.

Research published in New Scientist estimates that the industrial component - known as “NF3” - is 17,000 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. But it is not covered by the Kyoto protocol because it was only made in tiny amounts when the agreement was signed in 1997. [snip]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/03/eatv103.xml

[normy]

This is what I love about liberals. They always over play their hand.

Consider the size of the Earth and how few fireworks are actually fired off worldwide each year. It makes people question the sanity of these nuts and the rest of their bilge that may have been otherwise believed.

[abclily]

Environmentalists care not a whit for our environment. They care about ruining our economy and bringing our nation to its knees. They use the same tactics as the muslims. Both groups are working to ruin our nation. They are making progress every day.

[gridlock]

It is just a matter of time. I have been predicting this for years. It will be interesting to see if there is any push-back as fireworks are taken away.

[BooksForTheRight.com]

I knew the left would use Global Warming as an excuse to castrate the national holiday by removing the most obvious manifestation: Fireworks.

[Fiji Hill]

“The day [July 4] will be the most memorable in America...[I]t ought to be celebrated with pomp and parade...bonfires and illuminations [i. e. fireworks] from one end of this continent to the other, from this day forward, forevermore”

—John Adams, 1776

[Mister Da]

It is obvious that if humans did not inhabit Mother Earth, she would not have any wars, pollution, murder, rape, robbery, dictators, pedophiles, or politicians. The Garden of Eden was a paradise until Adam & Eve arrived. Paradise hasn't been paradise since then.

But fireworks, beach-side bonfires, cookouts, & the like are NOT destroying this planet! People who would ban these types of activities are much more dangerous.

[weegee]

Disney is claiming that because there are fireworks at Disneyworld in Florida, it is forbidden for employees to bring a gun in their car and keep it locked up in that car in the parking lot.

So at least SOME people on the Left would say that fireworks make this a safer place.

[Mygirlsmom]

Well that argument should surely fall flat on the ears of Wisconsinites. After plowing through one of the lousiest winters in a very long time, we are proceeding to have one very cool summer.

[Right Brother]

This is what I love about liberals. They always over play their hand.

So true. The whole 'green' thing is being oversold. Even the gullible grow weary of an incessant drumbeat.

[normy]

eventually they touch on someones sacred cow. That cow may be their bigscreen or it may be their bottled water but they always go to far.

[weegee]

I suppose somebody will call and tell me an exploding hat is far too dangerous to tolerate. Somebody might drink too much beer and try to wear it on their head. If so, I hope to get a picture.

I saw a fireworks demonstration one night all launched from peoples' headgear.

[P.O.E.]

They can have my lit fireworks when they pry them from my ....OW! DANG, I should’ve talked faster.

[weegee]

Joe Klein last week said that everyone should kill their air conditioner. Not set it warmer in summer, get rid of the thing altogether.

The neo-prohibitionists are ludites who want us to give up the higher standard of living that makes the rest of the world WANT to live here.

[rabidralph]

Just don't try and take these guys' fireworks away!

Happy 4th to you, Cheesy Lady!

[normy]

I wish Joe and these other idiots would lead by example.