John Adams started it.
In addition to cowriting the Declaration of Independence and his role in the American Revolutionary War, Adams wanted American independence to be celebrated in a big way. “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
It’s that time of year, when the pyromaniac hiding inside every American comes out and starts shooting off fireworks. We carry explosives across state borders, sign false statements, and violate local fire codes in order to celebrate our violent overthrow of our colonial oppressors. Whether it’s simple “snakes” and sparklers or giant military-fantasy cakes with names like “Untamed Retribution,” we want to meet the Founding Fathers’ imperative to oooh and ahhh on the Fourth of July.
Fireworks are a decent business, too. The American Pyrotechnic Association reports that fireworks sales totaled $940 million in 2008, with 186.4 million pounds of explosives sold to the consumer market alone.
Despite the close relationship between fireworks and the celebration of our nation’s violent founding, many people want to ban fireworks because they’re dangerous. They are, of course — but how much is a matter for debate.
The American Pyrotechnics Association, like any good trade organization, has data showing that between June 22 and July 22 of 2007, more children between the ages of 5 and 14 were injured on skateboards than by fireworks. And the number of injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks consumed was 3.7, down from 38.3 in 1976. Is that so terrible?
