I am pretty sure there is a rally being held down at many of the hospital burn units to celebrate with injury victims this year too!
The use of fireworks by young people (read under 18) unsupervised is pretty much what fills those hospitals at large.
I wouldn't allow my pre-teen kids to play with powerful explosives at all; they use them via my hands and my direct supervision.
I allow them to use the snappers, roman candles, streakier, Buscapie and the entire assortment that is available for their proper age all under strict supervision.
I'm tired of people that try and want to impose a "Child safety" band aid to all. Just like gun controls advocates which when confronted with a criminal that had no problems getting his (unlike law abiding citizens) points the barrel to them or a loved one, change sides if their lucky to make it out of that one alive.
Safety must be used at all times. You can have a beautiful night lighted up by fireworks to enjoy with your family if you use safety all the time.
I find excruciating that the same principles are not discussed when, say the children have full access to the kitchen utensils without anyone around! What stops a child from picking up the meat cleaver and swinging it around the room as a play toy? When we educate our children on it, they understand the destructive and dangerous ability that meat cleaver has.
My 19 and 17 yo were educated on guns since they were old enough to hold it properly on their hand. I educated them on its destructiveness and as such they're very avid shooters and do enjoy it at the proper place under the popper supervision as well of trained personnel at the ranges.
I was very young when my father allowed me to put my hands on a roman candle and it was the first time I saw him point it at a retaining wall across the street from the house, needless to say the explosion that followed the streaking rocket that came out of my roman candle was huge! I understood what he pointed out and said that it was very dangerous and never, under any circumstances should I point at any living thing or property.
I was 7 yo when he put a colt .45 in my tiny hands while he cradled mine, he allowed me to shoot a 2.5 gal can filled with water at 10 yards. Same impact, bigger sound. I understood the destructive power of that gun right then and there.
Your kids will be safe always that you teach them safety first, second and last...
If you take the kids that get harmed or maimed by fireworks and start to prosecute the parents or adult that was present when that happened, you'll see a dramatic drop in those cases very fast.
To penalize all for the mistakes of few is wrong and the last thing a gov should be doing is to decide what's good for the people and what's not.
I do believe minors should never be sold fireworks under any circumstance. Only adults should be able to purchase those, thus providing the first order of safety.
What's next? Outlaw bicycles, skateboards, skates for the sake of child safety? The same conclusions can be made of any if proper adult supervision is not used.
By far, bicycles fatalities and injuries are many times more numerous than the amount of kids hurt by fireworks!!!
Where's you outrage on it? Outlaw bike sales? Or celebrate with them...