Fireworks Permits

It's the Fourth of July and I woke to the sound of illegal fireworks exploding in the park behind my house. All fireworks are illegal in my city, but these were the kind that were illegal even before the complete ban was instituted. It was indescribably stupid for the city to institute the ban. People who would otherwise have been happy with "safe and sane" fireworks decided to protest by buying the more dangerous kind. The sirens are whirring all day and the snap crackle pop is more than the full police force can pretend to subdue.

It's my assertion that a permit system needs to be put in place, wherein intelligent, responsible citizens can take a video course at the local fire station, demonstrate their compliance with the laws, and obtain a t-shirt printed with a one day permit for safe and sane fireworks in a designated location. The t-shirt would make them easily identifiable as the responsible person at the neighborhood block party, and would essentially deputize them all over the city to photograph, report, and even make citizen arrests for the use of more dangerous explosives. They would have to remain sober as a condition of their permit and be taught proper procedure for citizen arrests as part of their video course.

The law as it is unfairly punishes responsible citizens and encourages them to sympathize with the irresponsible ones. The ones who will not be stopped by any laws.

I would also encourage them to make holidays like the Fourth of July their designated everyone rides the bus for free days, with hours extended until midnight, or two am on New Years. The point of a free ride day is to get people to try the bus, and more people are likely to do so on a day when they know the roads will be crowded and/or they expect to be drinking. Ending the public transportation day at 8:00 makes it completely impractical to use on holidays. Days when it would otherwise be a great option.

Now, to dig up the emails of our local city council and send this to someone who can do something about it. I miss my fireworks dang it!