Saturday, July 4, 2009

COMMENTARY: FOURTH OF JULY

This day is a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Some of my best memories involve explosions in the sky and the smell of sulfur. We used to plant firecrackers in leftover watermelon rinds and then try to run from the soggy shrapnel. Great fun.
Alas, the miniature detonations that I grew up with are no longer to be, due to Colorado State Law. Although I wish we could still indulge our pyromania in the backyard, I understand—many, many people also indulge their stupidity at the same time, resulting in fires and emergency trips to the hospital. I get it. I will not buy illegal fireworks.
But a lot of people do. They drive several miles to cross the state line and purchase illegal fireworks, bring them back home and light them up.
Which brings this to mind:
The purpose of this holiday is to celebrate the birth of our nation. It’s the one time we devote to honoring our country specifically just for the reason that it lives. So, it’s ironic that a great number of people will go to great lengths to defy its legal system.
For many nights, I will hear the steady pop and crackle of illegal fireworks.
Happy Fourth of July—the day when everyone honors their country by disobeying its laws.

1 comment:

Mark Phillips said...

Good point. We support our country's laws only when they don't stop us from doing what we want to do.