Gun powder smoke hangs heavy all over the city.  Which is strange because for a state where fireworks are illegal and the city even has ordinances against the use of sparklers we saw plenty of them going off tonight.

     I don’t mind the free shows, I rather enjoy them, but I do get angry when some people are dumb enough to set them off close to homes.  It seems to me that that these people don’t have the brains they were born with once they have fireworks in their hands.  All night we heard fire trucks going past—we live near two fire stations—you can bet that some idiots somewhere set a roof or two on fire.

    Give some people fireworks and their brains take a walk without them.  Many years ago, I saw an M80 with a short fuse peel the meat off three of my father in law’s fingers, his thumb, and half his hand, right to the bone, the damage to the nerves was severe and the resulting scars were a horror to behold.  The following year I was at a picnic where a fool tossed M80’s underneath people’s chairs and thought it was hysterical.  At least he did until he threw one under my MIL’s chair.  At which point I grabbed the culprit by the front of his shirt and threatened to set off a few in his pants.  The whole idea of roasting his chestnuts (and not by an open fire) put a damper on his high spirits.

     Unless you live way out in the country and you know what you are doing, leave the fireworks to the professionals, and don’t give them to children to play with.  Ask anyone who works the ER on the fourth; they see all the bad injuries.