Freedom & The Collective: The ongoing debate with "firework season."

My childhood home-town, like many in the US, had an annual 4th of July celebration. Like many, there was a parade, there was a sea of red/white/blue attire, flags were hung on the side of houses and waved wherever you would look, and there was an elaborate fireworks display.

As a child, I was mesmerized by the majesty of it all. I loved the colors. I loved the sounds. I loved the community feel. I loved the patriotic spirit that for at least a day, seemed universal. Then one day….it changed.

While I was a child and the specifics of the event were beyond my comprehension at the time and somewhat fuzzy to me in my adulthood, what I do remember is a young girl was killed as a result of the fireworks “mis-firing”, causing the city to make the decision to cancel the fireworks display, permanently.

Did the city fall off the planet?

Did the residents cease to celebrate the 4th of July?

Did the community become less patriotic, less “Americans”?

No. The world, the city, the community and the residents in the community adjusted. They continued to host backyard bbq’s, pool parties, and in the great state of Michigan….they headed what we refer to as “up north.”

Up north. If you are from outside of the great state of Michigan, one might think we are referring to the UP or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While that does qualify as “up north,” most people travel within the confines of the lower peninsula and still refer to that as “up north.” Our family goes to the west side of the state each summer to our absolute favorite resort town, Saugatuck, Mi and still refer to this as “up north” which is ludicrous as it is literally west of where we currently live, and perhaps a little south. Yet….this is the non-sensical/sensical logic that exists in our state, and I am sure in wherever you are reading as well.

Life carried on.

We were able as a community to decide the safety of the community was far more important than the arbitrary way we decided to celebrate this holiday. We could still show our love for our country in ways that did not include fireworks, and life carried onwards.

And that was when we “just” had fireworks for one day.

Now….. this industry has grown to a seasonal experience. While it is not necessarily legal for individuals to light fireworks off in neighborhoods, regardless of density of population, people do. ALL. SUMMER. LONG.
I do not live in my childhood hometown any longer, but this reality is not about that city any longer. it is everywhere. We have greater access to fireworks and in that ability to obtain fireworks, we have somewhat lost site of pondering the great questions:

Just because I can obtain the fireworks, does it mean it’s safe or that I should?

Just because I LOVE fireworks, does it mean that everyone else around me does?

Here is where my debate starts…….

I do love the spectacle of it all. I love the music that can be choreographed with the displays. I LOVE the colors and I love the sounds. But my fur-baby, Layla the Wonderdog, does not.

She is terrified. She paces. She shakes. She pants. She hides. She jumps from bed to bed to room to room seeking a “safe” space. She is in a state of panic that lasts throughout the night, long after the fireworks are over. We cannot predict when this happens any longer, as it happens in our community nightly throughout the summer without warning or predictability. Yes, we have medication we can give her, but why do we have to give her sedative medication because others feel their right to have firework displays on a random Tuesday night supersedes her right to feel safe?

Layla is not alone in her suffering. Countless dogs, especially older dogs, are very sensitive to sounds and negatively impacted by them. Do you know who else is vulnerable to these noises? Military veterans. The very people we “should” be thanking by our grand patriotic displays are often very sensitive to the sounds of the fireworks, reminding them of the conflicts while protecting this country.

When you are buying your fireworks, when you are choosing to just light them off night after night week after week month after month this summer…I implore you to consider it is not just about you enjoying the displays, but those you are also affecting with your decisions. As a nation, time and time again we demonstrate we are stronger when we consider the collective. When we understand that we are hard-wired for connection, and hard-wired to have empathy for our fellow humans. We need one another, and in our need it would seem that we have space to consider ways to creatively display our love of nation, and all of it’s people (and animals) who live in this nation.

Here is a list of alternatives:

Sparklers.

Red/white/blue light displays on your house.

Patriotic outdoor decorations.

Creative/community based walks/parades/runs/events

Red/white/blue themed picnics, bbq’s, parties

Contests of the BEST most obnoxious displays of red/white/blue and America

Best American Traditional Tattoos contest (hey…any time to celebrate the great art of tattoos, I am in!)

My message is this….be creative. Celebrate! Of all years, this is the YEAR to celebrate after a very difficult 2020. But please consider thinking about your fellow fur-neighbors and family members, and military veterans. After all, what does it all matter if we aren’t considering the health and wellbeing of the residents within borders of our country?

Wishing you all a peaceful, patriotic, and fun holiday weekend!

Peace…..