ATLANTA (AP) — For many Americans, the Fourth of July will be more intimate this year. It also could be riskier.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1318641
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1318641
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They made fireworks that fly and explode, you know, real fireworks, legal in PA a few years ago. Only trouble is they’re not legal to use most places. But people use them most places anyway. Like in my neighborhood. Where my house is. 
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They’re not legal in NYC but we’ve been having pop up fireworks for more than a month. Nobody’s 100% sure why, but they seem to be in solidarity with the BLM protests. I understand this has been going on it other US cities as well.
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Right there with you mattinpa. For the past 10 days straight, from dusk until at least 11 pm., nothing but firecrackers and aerial explosions.
The PA law says no use within 150’ of “an occupied” structure, but good luck trying to enforce it.
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Kim Jong Un wannabees? Rocket Man wannabees?
Thing is I’m inordinately fond of fireworks myself. Years ago we’d go down to Chincoteague and a few miles away across the Virginia border you could stock up. Now, pfft, as a homeowner who’s seen a bottle rocket start a roof fire that was luckily put out in time, I’m ambivalent.
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“I think a lot of folks want to feel good again.”
How’s that going to work out if someone loses an eye, or starts a fire? If you need something outside yourself to “feel good”, you’re going about it all wrong.
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Hardly surprising. Where I grew up in the suburbs of NYC we all knew around this time of year who had fireworks. Usually the families of police and firefighters who worked in the city as well as those who commuted and managed to get them on the streets in Chinatown.
In Queens you had the Gotti clan commandeer a street to have their yearly fireworks show. By the early 90’s, this was pre Giuliani when some of them were in jail the city officials frowned upon it and they ceased.
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I’m in Queens not far from Manhattan. Usually late June into July you would hear sporadic fireworks. This year they seemed more frequent and louder as if the stocks they were getting were your M-80’s and loud cannon types.
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I’m only in Brooklyn two plus years, but I never heard them before. And many people in the neighborhood have been scratching their heads. According to Slate, most likely it’s kids who’ve had a lot of time on their hands. I like BLM solidarity better, but there you have it.
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Dry conditions from drought, air pollution deregulated, antsy worked up people wanting to let off a little steam - what could possibly go wrong?
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Something about little boys and big booms. A few years back, my neighborhood in Albuquerque was treated to sonic blasts all afternoon as a gang of drunken engineers from Kirkland AFB set off firecrackers under trashcans set over open cans of liquid oxygen and paint thinner.
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Just yesterday. No one was injured thankfully. Another story I saw said a rogue firework shot into the stand.
This tweet has much closer video but the audio gets really bad at the end.
https://twitter.com/CharlesRobinson/status/1279042286081519616
Here in Tucson there’s a stand selling fireworks not an eighth of a mile from my home from under a big tent. I expect my college age neighbors to be setting off boomers any time. Which means heavier than normal watering on that side of my house. I have implored them to not do it but …kids.
I have grown to hate this holiday because of the attendant stupidity and idiot behavior. I don’t need it
GET OFFA MY LAWN
Actually we don’t have a lawn, rather its desert landscape with large cacti and mesquite trees
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In the close up version there’s a guy standing theresurrounded by exploding fireworks and he seems to be mesmerized … he just does not move away from obvious danger to his well being.
Jeebus!!
edit
There is a wildfire near Tucson where I live. It was started by lightening almost a month ago. It has burned something north of 118,000 acres so far and it’s attempting to actually jump to anew mountain rages and start all over again.
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With the heat you get there I’m surprised houses don’t burst into flame spontaneously. You don’t need extra ignition sources.
I used to work in zoning and had too much exposure to fireworks dealers. Every time I felt like I needed a low acid dip to cleanse after I left the room
I can just see the headlines now:
President Celebrates Fourth
by Setting National Forest Ablaze
And the accompanying kickers:
Rapid City Leaders
Plan Evacuation
COVID Testing Tents
Set Up For Firefighters
Town of Custer
Threatened by Flames
Attorney General Defends Show
“Hey, at Least Sturgis is Okay.”
Intensity of Fire
Cracks Jefferson Bust
Area Farmer’s Reaction:
“That Dumb Co***ucker!”
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Asked to comment, one of the attendees cried out in anger - “Thanks, Obama!”
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The trick is to get the customers to leave the property before they spark up their new toys. But when you combine a three day drunk weekend and the joy of blowing things up it’s amazing they all don’t end up this way.
There was a fireworks factory in Roswell that blew out from time to time. The Fire Department told them they were on their own when things went south.
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