For being such a young country, America is steeped in tradition and most Americans despise giving them up. Americans enjoy their traditions and celebration and at one time, stood up for them against any who would seek to destroy any of those.
Can you recall the outrage across America when there was a Baseball Strike and no games? Have you listened as we are told that eating hot dogs are bad for us? Would you stand for a ban on Mom’s Apple Pie?
No, like other Americans, you would strongly oppose any such banning of a favorite pass time for most Americans.
But curiously, another long held tradition has been slowly chipped away at and even outright banned in some regions and Americans remains silent, obediently falling in line and doing as they are told. Celebrating our Independence from Britain with our own fireworks is dying before our very eyes as municipalities and busybodies who don’t like them convince people they are better off giving up the long held tradition and allowing their elected leaders to show them such displays, provided you can handle the crowds or even get into whatever venue they are set off at.
Our own community has a long proud tradition of fireworks and at one time was used both for Independence Day and New Years, joining World Leaders from before America was founded in celebrating important events with fireworks.
Just a few years ago that began changing as recent newcomers not only moved their families here, but their dislike of fireworks as well. They began griping, complaining and latching onto every accident and the few pinheads who used fireworks irresponsibly to embellish and exaggerate dangers, convincing the Vancouver City Council to eliminate the New Years display and shorten the time they could be legally used during the Independence Day Holiday.
People compromised, believing giving in just a little would be okay. It wasn’t. As often happens, give someone an inch and they want to take a mile.
Such is the case we see unfolding before us at the hands of the wife of a city council member, Stephanie Turlay with her “Ban the Boom” campaign.
Allow me to say here that I know and respect both Stephanie and her husband Bill and like seeing Bill working on city council. But it just boggles my mind how they, conservatives, are pushing so hard to deny Americans a freedom and liberty long held.
We conservatives are well known for if we do not like something, we avoid it or don’t use it. Liberals on the other hand are noted for if they don’t like something, they want it banned and no one to use it.
And that is what confuses me because I know neither Bill nor his wife Stephanie are liberals.
But, there is no doubt that she is leading the charge towards another restriction on fireworks an eventual outright banning of their use by citizens.
A recent email sent out by Mrs. Turlay contained the words, “this will be our opportunity to change the laws that have controlled the continued mayhem in Vancouver!”
Mayhem? “Law . The crime of willfully inflicting a bodily injury on another so as to make the victim less capable of self-defense or, under modern statutes, so as to cripple or mutilate the victim. Random or deliberate violence or damage. A state of rowdy disorder.”
Our celebration, even with personal use of fireworks hardly approaches “mayhem.” But that is a prime example of the hyperbole used by the “banners” crowd as they seek to ban what they don’t like, having convinced others that fireworks pose a full blown community hazard, even though reports of violations and accidents from the use of fireworks has steadily decreased in the last few years.
A subsequent email sent out by Mrs. Turlay reads in part, “We can always encourage those who are unable to live without fireworks to pack a picnic basket and go to Clark County to set them off! I have worked to stop the insanity of fireworks in Vancouver for 10 years, I cannot win the battle without you.”
How nice. It reads as ‘I’m a newcomer to this community and if you wish to enjoy your long-held traditions, get the hell out of town. I’m here now and you’ll do as I want!’
I fail to see where this has anything to do with community safety or bettering the community, but has all appearance of being a personal agenda that the rest of the community must follow.
As previously shown, this year seems to be the year of the full court press by the banners as they have pushed this notion for months now. As was shown here, here and especially here where now they have drug Veterans into it as if we are some sort of delicate flower ready to explode into a murderous rage upon hearing fireworks.
I am especially appalled that once again, Veterans are little more than a tool for scoring political points. We Veterans have become nothing more than tools to these people whose ultimate goal is to impose their will upon others. We did not serve to be used to limit freedoms, but to protect people and their freedoms.
If you value your freedom to enjoy your own fireworks responsibly on the 4th of July, I urge you to contact all City Council Members with your view. You can find their contacts at City of Vancouver.
If able, I urge you to be at the October 1, 2012 City Council Meeting, held at City Hall, 415 W. 6th St. Vancouver, Washington and speak before council on your view.
Rest assured, Mrs. Turlay has rallied her troops to give the appearance of the majority in the city wanting a ban on your freedom to use fireworks responsibly.
Perhaps her and her troop of naysayers would do well to follow her advice of pack a picnic basket and cross over the I-5 Bridge into Portland, Oregon where fireworks are banned.
Oh wait. You mean they set them off there too? In violation of their ban? And they buy them over here too?
That just illustrated the senselessness of this proposed ordinance as people will just drive up to Hazel Dell, buy them and set them off anyway as they know the likelihood of being charged will be nil.
