I just lit off a firecracker...

C

Cliff

New member
Right here in my backyard in oh, so, suburban Saranap, California.

I would have preferred a cherry bomb or better yet an M-80, but perhaps it is best that I had neither. The cherry bomb would have been much louder (a good thing, I think), but an M-80 would most likely have sent the neighbors scurrying to call 9-1-1.

So... just the one little firecracker.

That little firecracker is illegal here. So are sparklers. ALL fireworks, even if they are of the "Red Devil" safe and sane ilk, are forbidden.

If you want to watch fireworks, you may take yourself and your family, drive somewhere, settle yourself with hundreds or thousands of like minded folks and view a government approved fireworks display.

Those fireworks may be quite nice to watch, but it's a far cry from how we celebrated the 4th when I was a young lad. Upon dark fall, the neighborhood kids and parents would gather and picollo petes', pinwheels, roman candles, fountains and all other manner of pyrotechnic wonders would grace the evening sky.

EVERY child, properly supervised, would be allowed to light at least one firework. It was celebratory and participatory and we all shared in the joy, exhilaration and, well, belief that we lived in the finest and most free country that the good Lord has ever seen fit to bestow on this earth.

Those were the '50's in California.

Now I am going to commit another illegal act.
It involves an entire pack of firecrackers, my back yard and... well... it is past dark fall. :)

A Great Independence Day to all TFL'ers, and let us not ever forget....

Cliff
 
Over here in Japan we've a veritable pyromaniac's heaven: fireworks for sale in the convenience stores, and regional fireworks competetions every August.

Interesting note: "fireworks" in Japanese comes out "hanabi," lterally, fireflower.
 
Munro- I notice the same thing when I pulled into Yakusa(spelling?)Japan on the USS Nimitz.

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"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property...Horrid mischief would ensue were the law abiding deprived the use of them" --Thomas Paine, 1775

www.2ndamdlvr.homestead.com/home.html
 
Our 5½ years in Yokosuka pretty much spoiled American fireworks displays for us. What we would consider a finale is just warm-up for the Japanese...

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein
"Power corrupts. Absolute power - is kinda cool!"
Fred Reed
 
Fireworks are also illegal here (Illinois.) I always shot 'em when I was a kid but this year my new wife and I went to my parents' house for dinner and so didn't have a chance. It sounds like WWII in our little town on the 4th, laws or no laws. Dad's poor dog was frantic; she was convinced that there were hundreds of people hunting just outside the door with no on to pick up the birds! :D

Anyway, to make a long story short, my kids will light firecrackers if WE decide to trust them, not the legislature.
 
here in ohio all we can have are little sparklers, smoke bombs and "snakes"

the odd part is that there are lots of places to buy real fireworks in-state, but you have to sign a waiver saying that you will take them out of the state.. this pretty much results in a wink-wink nudge-nudge affair. I'm pretty sure the Columbus PD would hang up on you if you were to report that your neighbor just shot a roman candle.

So what does the Ohio Legislature do when there is a silly law on the books that no one wants to obey and no one seems to want to enforce? Why, make an even tougher law!!! Now they want to close all the fireworks stores.

yea america! :(
 
VA too.

Guess we aren't bright enough to be responsible - careful. Big Daddy will take care of us, huh? "Now put them away, boys ... no no!"

Bull T**Ty, says I.

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Life is sudden - timing everything ... a milli-second can affect a life event. Be safe.
 
Here in Western Kansas we can still get the fun stuff, depending on which county you're in. Some will sell aerials, some won't. The city council in my town finally came to their senses this year and voted to allow fireworks inside the city limits. They finally realized it was safer to set them off in your back yard surrounded by green grass with a garden hose nearby than it was to go out in the country and set 'em off next to a few hundred acres of dry wheat stubble.
 
You know, every year for the past three years, I have planned on shooting up 1/2 a brick or so of .22 in the house, into the bullet trap, around the 4th, just for fun, on the theory that the neighbors will think it's just firecrackers. But I have never been able to get around to it. Dangit. :(
 
Normally it's a-ok here in Colorado, but there's a burn ban, ans I respect that, because I don't want to see my house go up in flames!
 
They want to remove all traces of the 4th of July here in People's Socialist Republik of Kalifornia. In the city I live, the city council had an "emergency" meeting and banned fireworks. They gave this excuse: the city will be safer and we will always have the fireworks show and carnival in the park that was always held on a ex-marine corp helicopter emergency landing pad. That "always" only lasted for 2 years. After that they decided to kick out all of the model rocket launchers and model airplane flyers from there so they could build the THIRD golf course in the park. Well now all of the fireworks I get on the 4th is what they show on t.v.
 
I live in Oklahoma and the only thing that has really been outlawed are the really fun ones like bottle rockets. Everything else is fine. Me and my roomie headed up 11 miles into Missouri and brought back some bottle rockets. It was a great time. No accidents or injuries! I hate it that they make a law to protect those that dont know how to properly play with fireworks and make the rest of us unable to enjoy it!!!

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Try to take away my gun...and you will see my 2nd Amendment Right in ACTION!!! -Me
 
Wasn't there a quote that said in essence: This is a day in which we will celebrate with parades, fireworks, and the shooting of guns into the air? Now, I understand the point about the shooting of guns into the air is not a great idea in cities and neighborhoods (what goes up, must come down). But what about the parades and fireworks. Many vets are refusing to parade due to stupid "arms" bans (not able to carry their rifles) and I don't blame them. When you go to these government displays of fireworks, seldom if ever do you get to hear a speaker, with a tear in their eye, thanking or even paying tribute to those who fought and died to make this country. Never is heard the Declaration of Independence read to the crowd or a moment of silence given. People show up, drink their beer or whiskey, watch the show, and then go home feeling as if they did their duty for the honor of the day. How many of these homes had flags flying, not many. I counted 0! I didn't count mine, so I guess it's one. The only "goose bumps" that I received were from reading posts from TFL and others I found on the net. The 4th is not celebrated for our independence any longer, but for our worship of beer, burnt meat, and a government approved light show. Living in a town that "thinks" it's a model for Rights and pride, didn't even have a parade. The local AFB didn't have a parade or even any functions besides an "eat till you puke" buffet at the NCO club. No special ceremony at the end of the day, no flight formations, standing proudly, rendering a salute with pride and maybe a tear in their eye. My neighbors now think I'm strange. I cut my hair, washed and pressed my uniform (horonable discharge so I can still wear it) and at 1630, on July 4th 2000, stood, rendered a salute, to our Flag and in the memory of those before us. I had a taped reading of the DoI as well as the BoR's play. I know I looked like a fool, standing out in the midday sun, saluting the Flag while the street was busy with families going back and forth down the street (a very busy street) getting ready for their beer and meat tribute. I didn't care. All I cared about was the honor and pride that I have for those who lost everything to create and maintain our way of life. I know, I should be locked up in the nearest loony bin... and I don't doubt many people had that opinion who witnessed my act, but this was one of the worst and greatest 4th's I've ever had. It was the worst, because no one else cared enough to celebrate the true meaning of the day, but it was the greatest because I did. USP45usp
 
Ever notice firecrackers are illegal in Nevada, but they set off atom bombs there?

Hmmm.....
 
If you want fireworks in Nevada, some of the Indian reservations sell them year round. I stop at the one at Walker Lake, east of Reno when I feel the need and I'm in the area. They sell most anything you might want.

Except nuclear weapons. ;)
 
USP45, you're not nuts...everyone else in this country is!

I saw The Patriot on the 4th and was depressed the rest of the afternoon, thinking about how far our once great country has sunk. Probably most of the people in that theatre went home and drank and ate their fill, and didn't even offer up a prayer of thanks for all the men that died to give us our freedom!

It made me MAD, to think that ALL they fought for and suffered for was in vain, for not. We have taken their dream and turned it into a nightmare a farce.

I too ate my chicken and watched the gubmint approved fireworks, but I cried when I saw the Stars and Stripes and said many silent prayers and reflected on exactly what the Founding Fathers sacrificed for us. They weren't forgotten in this house!

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"Pray as if your life depends on God, Prepare as if it all depends on you..." -Texas Preacher

Liberty or death, what we so proudly hail... DON'T TREAD ON ME!!-Metallica

"Many's the men who've battled foe
many the number slain,
many the lads have fallen though
Scotland shall rise again."

[This message has been edited by Darthmaum (edited July 06, 2000).]
 
Gentlemen,

My earliest recollection of fireworks was of my dad nearly setting the san antonio back yard on fire when I was 5. We also made craters with "lady fingers" in my sandbox. I found shreds of paper for weeks after!

As the local free public range is an hour away and we had lots of company coming for the day, I had to settle for reloading a few dozen rounds for my rifle. I guess I'll have my 7/4 fireworks several times later in the year!
 
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