Over It! 🎇🎆

Every year, on July the 4th, we celebrate the independence of this country, our country. We show our patriotic pride with parades, picnics, ball games and family gatherings which culminate in a traditional fireworks extravaganza. A fun time for all, right? A beautiful, dazzling display lighting up the night sky reigniting our hope for America.

As a child, I loved the 4th of July. My parents would buy a box of sparklers and maybe a few of those black cubes, that once ignited, would grow into a black, ashen snake. There was usually a fireworks show somewhere in town, a great end to a day of fun with family and friends. I remember looking forward to it almost as much as Christmas. A very a special day in part because my Father was a WWII veteran. He loved this country, served and sacrificed to protect it.

Every year we are told fireworks are illegal in Aurora—anything that explodes or leaves the ground. A few years ago the explosions were so loud it was reminiscent of the sound-track of every pirate or war movie ever made right in our neighborhood. We went outside to see if we could ascertain where the sound was coming from. The first thing we noticed when we opened the front door was the acrid smell of gunpowder. It was overwhelmingly strong. By the time we walked to the mailbox by the front walk, the smoke was so thick it reminded me of being in California, driving on the Pacific Coast Highway in a dense fog. Fog so thick you couldn’t see beyond the hood of your car. I would have to believe something that would create those conditions, probably explodes And leaves the ground, therefore, illegal. This year, the explosions were so loud the windows rattled and the house shook. Again, illegal and they started on June 24th with the Nuggets victory and are still ongoing.

The local television affiliates have news stories almost daily “reminding” the public that fireworks that explode or leave the ground are illegal. They could be accompanied by a fine for those found to be using exploding or sky bound fireworks. And every year, no matter how often you call designated reporting telephone numbers, nothing changes. Everyone is too busy to track down those shooting off the fireworks.

We’re advised to put our pets in a room without windows or in a closet during the fireworks. My dog would never understand being “isolated” from the rest of her pack that way. We got a tranquilizer from her vet to give her, Trazodone. Trazodone is prescribed for young children and teens who experience depression and anxiety.

“Children, teenagers, and young adults who take this antidepressant to treat depression or other mental illnesses may be more likely to become suicidal.”

“In dogs, the most common side effect of Trazodone is that it can make your dog a bit drowsy or sleepy. You need to monitor your dog to make sure they’re not sitting up high where they might misjudge their step, fall, and hurt themselves.”

So the answer to loud fireworks is to “drug” or isolate your pet. By that logic, if you have a baby or young child who is upset by the loud noises and flashing lights, you should isolate them by putting them in a closet or give them drugs to get them through the trauma. Don’t we have enough problems with drugs in our society without adding to it because we can’t control a few who flaunt the law?

What about war veterans who are traumatized by explosive sounds? Someone with PTSD? Unfortunately, too many of our veterans are homeless and living on the streets, a shameful commentary on how we treat those who sacrifice so much for us. Where should they go to avoid the trauma of harmless celebration? Where are the closets they can hide in? Where are the rooms without windows so to avoid exposure to the explosions and flashes of light? What about their dogs?

I believe we are being terrorized in the name of patriotic celebration. Terrorism is described as:

       “the state of fear and submission, intimidation or coercion by instilling fear”

Again, I say we are being terrorized. No one asks how we feel about the constant bangs, pops and booms. This year we were fortunate to have rain but drought conditions have been prevalent for a long time. It wouldn’t take much to start a brush fire or set a home on fire as it did in Parker. What about physical injuries cause by the mixture of inexperience and alcohol? We all can’t afford to pay hospital bills or for extensive property damage. Nor do I think we should have to worry about it. So why do we have to live in fear that something catastrophic might happen? Why are we forced to sequester ourselves because of the few inconsiderate law-breakers?

The police fireworks hot line personnel always ask if we know where the fireworks are being set off? At 74 years old, I’m not inclined to go out and look. Should I be expected to? I support law enforcement. I know they have a hard, dangerous job to do but if there is only lip service paid to arresting those who are shooting off explosive fireworks or those that leave the ground, why should anyone take the warnings against the illegal use of fireworks seriously?

My husband and I just got back from taking our dog to the vet. She developed what we believed might be a UTI. For the last almost four weeks, at night, when she would go outside to go potty, someone would set off something loud, somewhere, and she would stop. She would start trembling and be frantic to get back inside. The good news is it is not a simple UTI. The bad news is she has an infection of her bladder and if it doesn’t improve she will have to undergo further testing involving her kidneys. The vets see this often in dogs and have discerned it may be caused, in part, by stress. Stress in a pet, a pet! $300+ dollars later we came home with medication. She had to have an IV to replenish fluids. It isn’t about the cost. It’s about what she’s had to go through because of the stress!

This senseless, lack of consideration for others, needs to stop. Illegal means illegal! If you don’t enforce the law then the law has no meaning. It emboldens people to act lawlessly without regard for fellow citizens. We are a society that is already divided unlike ever before. The desires of the few outweigh, seem to outweigh, the rights of the many. We are suspicious of each other. We assume the worst and don’t entertain someone’s motivation for anything may be innocent or harmless.

My husband and I are committed to changing this campaign of terror. July the 4th is one day, ONE DAY, not one month. We don’t need amateurs to set off fireworks when the Rockies win or the Broncos or the Avalanche or the Rapids for weeks and weeks. We don’t need fireworks to mark Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve spread over several days. The best firework displays I’ve ever seen are done by professionals. Toward that end, we are going to circulate petitions. We know there are many, many people who feel the same way we do. Everyone I have spoken to about this growing problem expresses the same sentiments and frustration with the situation. As citizens, we all have a responsibility to be mindful of others and act in the best interests of everyone. We vote. We pay our taxes. We all count.