this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2024
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No Stupid Questions

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300 million lbs of fireworks and 2.7 billion dollars gone in a cloud of smoke.

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[–] [email protected] 176 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (5 children)

Yup, that could also be said about music, cinema and any other form of art/entertainment/distraction. It doesn't produce anything "useful", but again, what is "useful" varies from one person to another. Some would say the waste of money is the point. You blow fireworks because you can.

Ultimately nothing matters because there is no true meaning of life, so anything that pulls you away from the dark nothingness of existence is good to take.

[–] [email protected] 130 points 4 months ago (4 children)

I can't think of other art forms that blow off the hands of so many people, wake up my daughter in terror at 11PM, and make both dogs and veterans suffer for an extended period of time. I'm fine with the large group spectacle that is planned and controlled. What I can't stand is the widespread uncontrollable nonsense of just anyone buying them and setting them off at any hour on the 4th. Law enforcement can do absolutely nothing about it. I'm just gonna have to deal with it. I'm just surprised we haven't collectively shifted to something less harmful.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Not just dogs or other pets, but also farm and wild animals. And it may not only lead to suffering, but also lead to their deaths.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

A local icecream place that also had goats and ducks was fucking setting them off right over the goat pen. They were sprinting from shelter to shelter inbetween explosions.

I don’t plan on going back there now. It’s a shame because it’s one of the better shops nearby.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Yep. With wild animals it may result in the running away in fear without thought and get lost or injured which may result in their death. This technically applies to all animals.

Another aspect which affects all is heart attack from the shock.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

That's what I'm saying. One day we'll look back in amazement that we let the public buy fireworks willy-nilly. Even the "it was good enough for me!" crowd of angry old-timers will have to go "Well, yeah, people blowed they hands off. And it bothered my vet'ren son and the neighbor's dogs somethin fierce. They're alright. It's prolly fer the best."

Now, I fully admit later today I will be running around in a country field with my friends shooting bottle rockets at each other. But we won't be bothering SOMEONE ELSE, and that's my thing.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Except fireworks has literally been a part of civilization for 1,000 plus years, so I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago

So have horses

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

One day we’ll look back in amazement that we let people have sex willy nilly and bond with whomever they like on a whim, forming friendships and families without central oversight.

But that doesn’t mean that future we’ll be looking back from in amazement won’t be a dystopian nightmare, or that our perspective won’t be warped by even more decades of infantilization.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

As someone who generally is in favor of regulating dangerous things, fireworks are fine as-is. They're basically limited to one night a year, the damage is not very extreme, and the people getting hurt are by and large the people choosing to endanger themselves.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (2 children)

What I can't stand is the widespread uncontrollable nonsense of just anyone buying them and setting them off at any hour on the 4th. Law enforcement can do absolutely nothing about it.

Do you understand why this is our way of celebrating Independence Day? Fireworks are a loud, visible, symbol and example of freedom from authority.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

You mean freedom from british authority, we still have authority.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

We also have the freedom to self govern. Laws are on the books to prevent firework usage in my state, it is simply ignored one night a year because it turns out mass lawbreaking is hard to handle. I don't have the right to conduct a parade in the middle of whichever street I want whenever I want. I participate in the social contract of sacrificing absolute freedom for mutual gain because I live in a country and am not a sovereign citizen claiming complete supremacy over all others. My taxes pay for a small and well moderated fireworks show at a designated location conducted by a local government for which I had a hand in voting for. My freedom is louder, collective, voted for, and more sensible. Not all freedom must be focused soley on the individual.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You make a good point. Which can also be made about any form of freedom as soon as it encroaches on someone else's comfort.

Ignoring the obvious nuance, a loud concert or a horror movie are also not something law enforcement will do anything against but it could terrorize people as well.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (2 children)

If a loud concert or horror movie popped up next door and rattled the houses of an entire neighborhood from 10pm to 2am, I'm pretty sure law enforcement would do something about it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Did you miss the "Ignoring the obvious nuance" ?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Then what value does the comparison have if you nullify the main point of comparing them?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

it would bother you that much even only being once a year? really?

that's wild

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

If only it were once a year. This year, people started on the 28th of fucking June, and didn't stop until the goddamn 6th.

If it actually was contained to the 4th, I would be fine with it, but getting woken up by an explosion every night at 1:30am for a week straight, it gets real old, real fast.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Ah. In my area it was like 3 days but I also don't get woken up by them so i can't really understand.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Yeah but none of them are anywhere near as ephemeral as a firework display.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

That doesn't make them more/less worth it.

If your criteria for worthiness is persistence then is a nice looking meal as worth it as equally nutritious goop ?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

Something like a sunset, a blizzard, or a thunderstorm are the more closely comparable natural equivalent. They're special because they're short-lived or rare.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

A theater performance is equally ephemeral. Or a concert. Or meeting your favorite celebrity. Or a good meal.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

There's nothing to be afraid of.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Eh. Half of that 2.7 billion being put into research into a disease like Myalgic Enceph. (ME) could probably significantly improve the quality of life of 80 million people who have one of the worlds most disabling diseases.