Colorado Needs to Cool It with Fireworks
As we get into the summer months, there's a lot to look forward to. Many of us are excited to get back out for a good old fashioned cookout. Some of us just want the excuse to head down to the Montrose Water Sports Park for some aquatic fun. Of course, some of us are just looking forward to the chance to catch up on some reading.
Unfortunately, there is another group in Colorado that is desperately waiting for the summer: fireworks enthusiasts. Granted, they're looking forward to the summer in the same way that they look forward to every other season or holiday on the calendar, but they're still excited. It doesn't matter when, and it doesn't matter why, these amateur pyros will take any excuse to blow things up in the sky, much to the chagrin of just about everybody else in town.
I don't want you to think that I have some vendetta against fireworks displays, or something. Quite the opposite, in fact: I love a great fireworks show, and look forward to showing off some of the more intricate and creative displays to my son as he gets older. Unless you're talking about a literal baby, or someone that has legitimate issues with loud noises, you'd be hard-pressed to find an American that doesn't enjoy fireworks every once in a while. We just don't want to hear them constantly.
I'm not against fireworks, I'm just against unnecessary noise pollution, and that's all you're getting when you have neighbors shooting off rockets for something as innocuous as President's Day. Quick aside: if we're being totally honest, unexpected explosions are probably the least-appropriate way to celebrate US Presidents, but why let something like sense convince you not to blow stuff up?
Independence Day gets fireworks because that has been the traditional way to celebrate American independence. Colorado gets fireworks in December because you have neighbors with too much time on their hands, and not enough sense to realize that most people associate Christmas with lights and not explosions. So, unless you're actively trying to shoot Santa Clause out of the sky, maybe it's time to cool it with the fireworks? Some of us are trying to sleep.