Forth of July without Fireworks

Its 11o'clock, July 4th. Fireworks bursting in the back ground of night fall. People celebrating their day of independence. We had a little celebration of our own, well until we got in trouble. See I was not aware of the city ordinance that prohibits " Anything explosive, including all forms of fireworks..." My family, friends, and myself were outside just starting our display when the officer pulled up. Now i know that the big city would have some sort of ordnance against certain types of firework. Even the small town that I grow up in, out in the sticks, had some prohibited.

So following the guidelines from my home town, I based my purchase on what to get for our celebration. No Saturn Missiles, no M-80's, no "Silver Salutes", etc. I was trying to be a little conscious of the rules and regulations that may be in place. And what good did it do me, none.

Here in Overland Park, Kansas, they have a no tolerance order for fireworks. So when the officer pulled up, it came to me as a surprise when she not only confiscated my fireworks, but my friends, both bags that our kids had, and called me over to her car.Like I said I was in awe when she started to tell me that she was going to issue a ticket.

So I was in the wrong. We had fireworks, and we set them off, but without knowing the law in full. The officer was not reluctant to issue the citation. Only saying, "We all have strick orders to issue tickets to anyone with fireworks". The officer went on to tell me about the person that received one of this unpatriotic citations just before me.

She did not go into detail, just describing a single mother with a few children and a some child friendly fireworks. And yes, this single mother got a 200 dollar fine for sparklers and fountains used in passing the Independence Day tradition on to her children. Now my party did have the "Morter Shell" style of aerials. So I can say that if anything should be against law, it should be them. So I am not complaining about my ticket, just that I think that it is foolish that our children can not experience the same joy of fireworks that we did growing up.

Yes, we all I am sure had a few firecrackers go off in our hands. But really, is it worth taking the joy of The Fourth of July away from our children for. With smart parenting, and a watchful eye, how bad can a Black Snake or Sparkler be? I know ANYTHING can happen. But really think about it. Our children see the magnificent displays and want to take part in the festivities as well. I know I did when I was young, and my children do now.

I can remember my father giving me a couple of grosses of bottle rockets, an arrow to shoot them with, and a lit cigarette for lighting the fuses. I can remember absolute joy that filled my heart on these once a year occasions. I can not see how something that I am sure was cherished by not only my self but you as well during childhood can now be be against law. We all want to partake in the wonderful joyous celebrations of our independence of America. Once we lose the right to celebrate our independence, what is next?