A few years ago, I spent the 4th of July with a friend who had suffered grievous injuries while he was a soldier in Vietnam. He had been exposed to Agent Orange and watched for the remainder of his life, his fingers disintegrating. Orange was an herbicide that the military used to kill the thick tangle of forest, in order to reveal where “the enemy” was hiding. This friend also suffered from PTSD as do many soldiers returning from war. Civilians, too, who have escaped and lived through heavy bombing in war torn countries, live in constant terror from their vivid memories.
Last night I had to endure hours of loud fireworks which were supposed to have been at least two blocks away, but sounded as though they were directly below my bedroom window. Last summer, while living in a town that allowed fireworks, the booms that were set off in the street, just outside our front door, shook the house. Even in those cities and towns where fireworks are illegal, it does not stop the millions of people for whom they are an “amusement.” Human beings have a seemingly insatiable desire to find things to do that they think are fun, regardless of the monetary cost and with complete disregard for their neighbors, their pets, and wildlife.
With the heat waves and wildfires being brought about by global warming, I do not understand why so many people still choose to participate in this dangerous tradition. They are deaf to the noise pollution, blind to the suffering it causes, and ambivalent about whether or not their actions are causing harm to others or to the planet. I was surprised that the chief of police in this town had posted a reminder to the locals, that setting off fireworks in town was illegal. He reminded them to be in compliance “out of respect for our war veterans.” While fireworks are not legal in the town, they are unfortunately legal in the county. Based on the noise that has been going on for several days leading up to the 4th, and even today while I worked in my garden, not many people paid attention to his plea. Respect, it seems, has gone entirely out of fashion.
