Fireworks & Pit Bulls - misunderstood?

The subject of these thoughts in my head is a bit old, but still relevant. (Above is a picture of Philly that I wish I could say I took - it's looking down on the Art Museum during a 4th of July celebration). As I got some fireworks to set off this past 4th of July, I was a bit entertained at the reaction they elicited in people, and after the 4th, I sat back and wondered where it all comes from. My conclusion? It comes largely from the media, and the few idiots who act irresponsibly when lighting and setting off fireworks. Not a whole lot different from owners of Pit Bull Terriers. Think the metaphor is a nonsequitor? Gimme a second.

Every single year around the 4th, the media runs reports about the dangers of fireworks to scare the living shit out of people . Okay, fair enough. Because there are far too many people (and one would be too many) who think it's funny to mess with M-80s, quarter sticks, and other very powerful fireworks, and they end up doing great harm to themselves and others, and sometimes even death.


I did a Google image search on firework injuries, and some of what can be found will turn your stomach, quite literally. This is the only one I found that I'd post to this blog. Obviously a pretty nasty burn.

These reports serve a purpose, and one can hope they only give a few morons pause before they do something stupid. But, what these reports also do is give people the impression that anything on the planet with a fuse will blow your head off if you go near it. Pretty funny.

To wit, during our annual July 4th party, when I brought some Black Cat firecrackers to our rooftop deck to safely and harmlessly set off just off the one side of our deck, one of our guests screamed, "You're going to set the building on fire!" and she wasn't kidding. It took me a few minutes to stop laughing before I could light them. Afterwards, I dished out a good ribbing, "Quick, get a bucket of water! The roof is on fire! Arrrrrrrraaaaagh!!!!"

After this year's party, I won't be getting anymore to set off in front of people at a party again. Hey, we don't throw parties to anger people, much less scare them, so it isn't worth it. But, fireworks can be pretty, safe and fun if you know what you're doing, and you light them safe and sensibly. I'm confident that I'm all of those things. It's not a game, and I don't mess with M-80s and the crazy stuff, ever.

I grew up around fireworks. I'm used to them. Does that mean I'm an expert? Nope. But you know what? I'm not an expert at driving a car, drinking alcohol or firing a gun, and all three are legal and can be worlds more lethal than a firecracker.

After our party, I was discussing people's reactions with Vandra, and since I have a profound love of metaphor, I told her that I was reminded of people's reactions to Pit Bull Terriers.

I've been around Pit Bulls and Rotweillers for many years. Like many things, including fireworks, they are misunderstood. Why? Because there are a few irresponsible idiots out there who abuse and mistreat the animals, and by training them to be viscious. When that happens, there are bound to be very bad and sometimes fatal consequences. Deaths have occurred from Pit Bulls, and in almost all cases, it's because of improper supervision of the dogs, or in some cases, parents not paying attention to where their child was, leading to a tragedy.

That's why when you bring up Pit Bulls, you often get very negative reactions in people. Just like fireworks.

Up until the last 20 years, Pit Bulls enjoyed a pretty good reputation through the years. For instance, check out this patriotic American poster, which dates to World War I. ...

Don't get me wrong - I've never owned a Pit Bull, nor will I ever. I wouldn't mind having a Rotty someday, but they can be more than a handful because of their size, and I don't like lots of pet hair. If I ever own a larger dog, it will be a Lab. My point in all of this is that there is a lot of misinformation out there about Pit Bulls and Rotties because of a small number of bad incidents, just like fireworks.

But, we will stick to smaller dogs when we become dog owners. We've already decided that when we move to Cali, we will get...

a Dachsund (a black and tan like this one) and...

a Welsh Corgi. I love both very much, and they are anything but a threat.

If people are safe and sensible, fireworks, like Pit Bulls, can be safe, and a whole lot of fun, too. Banning both is foolish; why deprive us all of something enjoyable because a few people don't know how to conduct themselves? This same line of reasoning also relates to Claratin-D and the bullshit I now have to go through because some drug fiends like to use it to cook up Meth. More on that soon.