Governor sparks fireworks furor

I love to watch fireworks, and will do so again this year. I gre up in Torrance where each 4th of July the streets would be a beautiful sight when everyone in the neighborhood would gather after dark to do their fireworks. Now I enjoy watching the show at WIlson Park.

California is on fire and if removing fireworks from the general public will result in less fires, then I say do it. Every city in the South Bay has dry lots just waiting for a spark to ignite them, not just the folks in PV.

The various groups that rely on fireworks for fundraising need to come up with a new plan that can generate the funding they need. I always try to support the groups by buying a little bit of their offerings, Not becasue I need or like them, but because I know the $ will go to good use. Others will do the same. THink about how not selling fireworks can help everyone by reducing the threat of fires, not spewing garbage in the air and educate the young folks you are helping by coming up with something else to replace the $ and educate people as to why you stopped selling fireworks. These days good "green" PR will be a plus!

Carson could help organizations that use the firework sales for fund raising in other ways. I know that the organizations need money to continue, but it is at a high cost to the well being of other citizens of the community. The days before, during and after the 4th of July are a nightmare here in Carson. The noise and smoke is intolerable. I have heard that we even give permits to organizations that are not based in Carson. Why?? We could find out how organizations in other cities raise money. There must be other ways. We can do better.
We protect our children with seat belts, immunizations, healthy diets and take all kinds of safety precautions to protect them, then we give them fireworks that could easily injure them. We wouldn’t dream of letting them carry a sharp knife or a gun, but then we let them play with matches and explosives. This is sane? 10% of children injured by fireworks suffer permanent damage, such as the loss of an eye, a finger or a hand. Now also we have the greater risk of fires. How many hundreds or thousands of dollars of fund raising is that worth?

I grew up in the South Bay when safe and sane fireworks were available everywhere. Their sales brought neighbors together to hold block parties and provided important micro-funding to local groups who otherwise had no way to fund local good deeds.

Safe and sane fireworks were banned in retaliation to misdeeds by one manufacturer and bribes taken by fire officials. The result is that the ban in turn created a huge underground market for exactly the sort of fireworks that fire departments were most afraid of. So today we are less safe. It's a fact that more illegal fireworks are sold today than before the ban on safe and sane fireworks.

We can't legislate away stupid. Every block has its version of Nutsy Fagan the kid your parents won't let you play with. He's timeless, he was there then and there today. And if he gets his hands on some bottle rockets, you can bet that at the least a palm tree will be on fire. But should we all be punished for that?

I know that my own neighborhood, which resembles the fall of Hue on the 4th, would be a lot safer if everyone with a fireworks jones could bring home a Red Devil American Patriot assortment instead of engaging in what I can only describe as Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority.

As for the fire dangers, there's no doubt it should be a concern. But look at what has been causing those fires: Smokers, campers, poorly maintained electrical lines, arsonists, controlled burns gone wrong, lightning, and illegal fireworks. I can't find a single instance in recent history where safe and sane fireworks caused a major fire. Yes, people do stupid things and even the safest firework can cause damage if, to use a couple of examples, they are tossed on the roof or lit off inside a garage.

But like I said we can't legislate away stupid.

My vote is to bring back safe and sane fireworks and cut the demand for the illegal variety.

Ca. is a tender box. That being said, if you think you city can't live with out fireworks, I say fine. Keep them there. But you don't. You bring them to my town. Every year we have some of you up here in our mountian communities with your fireworks as we pray that the 5th of July we'll still have homes.
Save and sane as you call them still cause fires and burn down others home. Light them off inside your own home so you don't burn down mine.

Ever see city sponsered firework shows? Get together as neighbors and go to one of them.
best of two worlds. Plus much safer.

The veterans' groups who want to sell fireworks are modern day back-stabbing Benedict Arnolds. Some of their fellow veterans were rewarded for their military service by getting preferential hiring as firefighters. Don't these veterans groups want to protect the safety of their fellow veterans whom are now serving as firefighters?
I think that most ministers or priests who perform funeral services for fire victims would disagree with their fellow members of the clergy who want to raise funds for their churches by selling fireworks.
I would like the little league parents who sell fireworks to ask themselves how mamy other little league parents or coaches were victims of fires?

The underlying problem is that people are too stupid and careless these days to use fireworks responsibly. And sadly, government must legislate to protect the property interest of the many by curtailing our freedoms. Once again, the idiots ruining it for everyone else. It pains me to see that the trillions of dollars we've spent on education over the past couple of decades has not resulted in a more intelligent populous. What does stupidity cost us annually?

Our population grows constantly and with it, too many irresponsible people.

It is time to stop home fireworks. Watch public displays if you need it that badly. Sometimes even these go awry!

Can't they find another way to raise funds? With all the fire devastation there has been in the last year, it seems very selfish of the organizations. The problem is not the fireworks sold locally are not safe, it is the fools who use them. Sell candy!

Firework shows are boring.

Every year popping a few weeks before and a few weeks after. Dogs barking all night, liter in the streets, houses on fire and fingers blown off. What good are they. If you want to see fireworks, go to a community sponsored event and see real fireworks. Raise money some other way. Why to go Arnold...

OK I see all the different peoples points they are attempting to make in the prior blogs, however I could not disagree more. I feel that Fireworks on Fourth of July are an American tradition. I know that everyone who grew up in The USA has at least one if not hundreds of memories of Their family get togethers,BBQ's, and parties on the fourth of July that were based upon the sun going down and the fireworks starting. I have been in charge of fireworks for my families Fourth Of July celebrations for many years where I the Adult ignite the fireworks and the kids get the joy of watching from a sake distance. I only use fireworks on the 4th of July in a safe manor, at reasonable hours why should I be punished?

As for the fund raising aspect of fireworks our Governor should strongly consider the fact that he has cut so many of the budgets and monies from everywhere in this state that before we know it our children’s schools will have to start selling fireworks to buy books and supplies. I support all the organizations who sell fireworks in my area because I would hate to see our VFW, the Boy/Girl Scouts, a youth sports organizations or a church lose one penny. These organizations put a majority of their money back into the community in one way or another and without them some of the neighborhood residents (Adults and children) would have nowhere to go.

In regards to the "Forrest Fire Danger" argument, they obviously do not live in Hawthorne as our Government leaders have develop this town so dry that there is not any open space or Forest to burn.

What I am trying to say is taking the fireworks out of the 4th is like,
1. Banning Christmas lights and trees (Fire Danger)
2.Taking The Easter bunny out of Easter (Fear of an Attack)
3.No pumpkins for Halloween (fire Danger)
4.No turkey at Thanksgiving (Fire Danger, animal cruelty)

ITS JUST PLAIN COMMUNISM!!!

If there weren't fireworks, there would be fewer candidates for the annual Darwin Awards. It's a tradition!

... coming to an emergency room near you

Fireworks have been shot off for thousand years;; now they are dangerous... lol.. it's far more important for them to destroy this american tradition, the 4th and the meaning of fireworks which are one and the same, this is the worst 5th column stuff I have seen in years..