We don't celebrate the 4th of July in Kali anymore...

S

Socrates

Moderator
I write this, thinking of most of you that live in free states. Here, we have laws. We have laws on everything. Many of the laws ban the celebration of the 4th of July, our nation's birthday. Were they written with the best of intentions?
Perhaps. What is the result? Most towns have come up with reasons to ban fireworks. Have they at least the decency to designate an area, and invite the citizens to celebrate? Most cities don't. All kinds of excuses are made, but, the bottom line is laws have been made that make the celebration of our nation's birthday confined to a few spots. Often these spots are fogged in, etc. The end result is no nations' birthday, no pride, no renewing of the basic foundational principals of what the founding fathers had in mind.

Some of you may think me extreme, but, I don't think this is an accident.
 
I've heard people joke about how the PRK isn't part of America anymore, but this I would find to be unpatriotic, repulsive, and ,without doubt, shameful:mad:
 
Are you talking only about banning fireworks or something else. If you are alluding to something else, you're not being very clear.

If this is just about fireworks, perhaps THOUSANDS OF WILDFIRES is the reason behind it.
 
Not totally clear, but it definitely sounds like he's talking about a progression of laws far predating the current wildfire spate.
 
It's happened over my 40 years here. First, threat of wildfire,
fireworks are dangerous. Little girl blows off finger, so ban fireworks. It's always behind some bleeding liberal set of horrible facts, that's the pattern. But, you look up 40 years later, no blanks shot at 12 0'clock, no fireworks, nothing. Cities can't do fireworks. Too dangerous, too expensive. All of these become excuses for failing to celebrate our countries birth.

New Year's gets more celebration, because the Chinese are happy to be here, don't care about the fireworks laws, and celebrate anyway.
 
The laws against personal use of fireworks have been here for a long time and, as a kid, 40+ years ago, my parents sanctioned ignoring them. We had a nice enclosed backyard and tolerant neighbors.

People's behavior has changed and even safe personal use seems pretty rare. I heard one firecracker on the 3rd. That was it.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences.” —C.S. Lewis
 
Are you talking only about banning fireworks or something else. If you are alluding to something else, you're not being very clear.

If this is just about fireworks, perhaps THOUSANDS OF WILDFIRES is the reason behind it.
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I don't see how a law banning the use of fireworks only inside city limits would do much to change this, though. Aren't wildfires even more of a risk out in the boonies?

This isn't just a California thing, though. You can't fire them off inside city limits up here (Montana) either. Luckily, I don't live inside those city limits.

Though,back when I did live inside city limits I found that the police up here made sure to take their time responding to any use of fireworks on the actual night of the fourth. I remember the one time they did show up at our house on the fourth he basically just told us that it was past one in the morning, and probably about time to shut it down. Other nights of the year they show up pretty quickly (don't ask me how I know), but they pretty much just let it slide on the fourth.

EDIT: Also, I'm pretty proud of my state...as we drove out toward the house, we had a pretty good view of the town in all directions...and there were explosions big and small as far as the eye could see, in every direction. Good times.
 
Growing up I never had fireworks on the fourth of July coming from citizens houses. If you set one pff the police would be slowly driving down your street ten minutes later to make sure you didn't set any more off.
This year we had a ton. All over my city. Not sure why. It was a nice change.
 
Wrong!

I attended a neighborhood block party last night here in Sacramento.
(California's capitol) We had hundreds of dollars worth of legal (safe and sane) fireworks sold by booths that raise money for local youth organizations. All around us we could see large displays of fireworks put on by county and local governments. Even the far left Sacramento Bee published the Declaration of Independence on its editorial page yesterday! We still celebrate the Fouth in California!

PS, I took a 17 year old shooting on BLM land in the morning, also a great way to celebrate!
 
More and more things become the province of the "experts" and the "professionals," all in the interest of so-called public safety and/or health.

Of course the more we regulate the more dark side seems to emerge as a counterbalance: we've got plenty of homeboys down here (L.A.) throwing lead skyward. I can hear the pop-pop-pop from my balcony.
 
You know, CA bans fireworks with the stated reasoning that it reduces wild fires, thereby saving millions of dollars. That reasoning seems logical regarding bottle rockets and other fireworks that are intended to fly, but why ban firecrackers?

It reminds me of the ban on smoking at beaches where second-hand smoke was cited as the reasoning. Second-hand smoke? In such an open space? Nonsense. However, I believe their actual reasoning was litter, in the form of thousands of cigarette-butts found in the sand on every CA beach. They used a politically charged phrase to get a ban for purposes other than those stated.
 
Wildfires are running rampant in California right now. Under this condition, I too would agree with a ban.

Now, if folks wanted to blast their unloaded blackpowder muzzle loaders in the air (no wads or anything else that'll burn), they should be allowed to do so in lieu of fireworks. Too bad I don't write the laws.
 
Wildfires are running rampant in California right now. Under this condition, I too would agree with a ban.
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I have to disagree. The wildfires have always been there. I lived there for ten years, and while as many of the fires are man made as not, fireworks are not the problem.
 
I have to disagree. The wildfires have always been there. I lived there for ten years, and while as many of the fires are man made as not, fireworks are not the problem.
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If you grew up where I did, in the Santa Monica mountains of So Cal, you would have a very different outlook on fireworks.
 
Fire Celebration

Here in Nevada we are helping to celebrate California's wildfires. The smoke pouring across the borderis making this area look more like LA.
 
because the Chinese are happy to be here
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From this statement I can assume that the OP is not happy to be there and therefore is free to get his self out of there. On the other side of the equation,,,, I spent 12 yrs as a volunteer fireman.
In the summer of 88, we went to the local county commish and asked for a fireworks ban which went unheeded(re: conservative Wyoming, can't tread on individual rights.). We then spent 24 hrs in hell. 47,,,,nope, didn't stutter,,,47 fire calls in less than 24hrs. 90+% firework related. Anytime the OP is willing to spend that type of 24hrs w/ me, I will then feel he is qualified to make said statement. I will suggest that if not happy w/ Kali, then perhaps he would be happier out here in Wyo. C'mon out partner.
elkman06
The wildfires have always been there. I lived there for ten years, and while as many of the fires are man made as not, fireworks are not the problem.
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Have to disagree heavily. Has this poster gone and been on ground zero of these fires?
 
I'm more pointing out that the celebration has been taken away, and nothing replaces it. Rather then a big Holiday, ironic that even Hawaii celebrates more then Kali, or maybe not, my cat wasn't even slightly bothered. In Hawaii we had to give the pitbull tranqualizers, and it still clawed through the side of my surfboard, covered with 5 layers of 6 oz cloth.

I guess what I'm getting at is everybody has a reason we shouldn't celebrate something. 4th, too many fires,etc.
Xmas, oh my God, it involves GOD!!! The only serious one left seems to be New Years, and again, I don't even think we take credit for most of that celebration...

I guess it also gets to the point when government regulation destroys an industry, then, instead of regulating the production quality, and that's how it starts, we end up with a total ban.

If you want an example, look at the Washington D.C. gun laws.
By the way, I gather the no fireworks laws are working real well around here, hmmmm? We had a week with no sun, thanks to fires and smoke. I gather it's all over the state.

Why? Well Mr. Firefighter, what causes such intense burns in forests, and eco-systems? It sure isn't fireworks.
 
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