Some time during the 1980's things changed.  Most importantly, every major civic event that extended into the evening had to have a large fireworks display--meaning that celebrations lasting a week or more would have impressive and expensive shows every night.  Adding up the number of such displays that occur in the Minneapolis metro area during a year would be extremely difficult, but I would be surprised if the extended area didn't produce nearly a 1,000 skyrocket displays every year.  

Thanks to expanded trade with China and new technology, these devices have become larger and more colorful.  Furthermore, as all technology is want to do, these sub-orbital multi-stage rockets are finding their way into the hands of average citizens who not only smuggle them illegally into states that do not allow them (like my state of Minnesota), but they fire them off in vast numbers in residential areas over a period of a fortnight surrounding the 4th of July.  

First, let's look at the legality issue.  I don't want to generalize too much, but it strikes me that the majority of the people who are launching missiles from their front sidewalks over into the alley behind the houses across the street belong to that class of person who feels that the Second Amendment is the most important right we have as Americans, and they probably resent the laws against fireworks, thinking that there is some sort of patriotic and logical connection between guns and fireworks, and that private citizens should be allowed to endanger the lives and property of their neighbors when they wish--not to mention, TERRORIZING pets and sensitive people who dislike hearing explosions and fear walking about outside in the imported Chinese pyrotechnic fallout and flack.  [May 11, 2005 addendum: I was thinking of a new bumper magnet ribbon to irritate right wingers who deep down realize that the GOP Jesus Bullies have lead us over a cliff.  Imagine a completely normal looking American flag, red, white and blue image just like the ones you already see, except that instead of the "Support Our Troops" admonition, it would read: "Made in China."  Or, how about this... a black ribbon, highlighted in white so it's visible on a black Acura, which reads" Pray for Oil." Or, a red one with Chinese Maoist art background, star, hammer and sickle.  And this one reads: "Shop Walmart." Or, more direct--an image of an exploding sky rocket with the caption: "Support Chinese Dictatorship. Buy Fireworks" ]

One of the greatest ironies of this situation is that these criminals (by definitiion, anyone who breaks a law is a criminal, especially one who willfully endangers others by their actions) are supporting a repressive, communist dictatorship in China.  The recent shift of economic preference from Taiwan to Communist China is perhaps most visible in the sudden flood of cheap, dangerous fireworks into America.  If my assumption is correct that a majority of these firecracker terrorists vote Republican and obsess over the Second Amendment, and they supported our dimwit president in his idiotic war on Iraq's repressive dictator, then it is clear that these subliterate knuckle-draggers are incapable or reading the "Made in China" label, and making the obvious political connections to understand the goofy implications of their allegedly patriotic firestorms.  Then on the other hand, it is clear that the Bush regime is actively supporting communist China, both through trade and by selling off huge chunks of America to China to finance the debt for his bullshit war.  

Enough on the political and economic irony.  Let's get back to the criminality and terrorism.  Yes, I would go so far as to label this as socially sanctioned terrorism, as well as socially sanctioned illegal activity.  The police clearly do not do anything to stop this.  In point of fact, one could compare this to an annual appearance of arsonist crackheads all over town that the police can't control.  It didn't used to bother me so much, but during the last five years or so, it has gotten so bad that it truly is dangerous to walk outside, especially on the 4th of July.  These weapons can start fires, cause injuries, create emotional stress for people and animals, and spread surprising amounts of toxic waste (more on this later).  Basically, personal usage of fireworks in residential areas is, if considered on a collective scale, far more dangerous and socially destructive than marijuana and crack cocaine combined, yet the police let these bratty knuckle-draggers smuggle this crap into our state from rogue states like Wisconsin and Missouri.  

Various medical and government agencies have been very effective at spreading the news about the dangers of drugs.  The negative effects of crack cocaine are widely known by the general population.  However, the number of people who are aware of the large amounts of toxins in fireworks is tiny.  There are no medical or government agencies telling us about them.  It even appears that they are hiding this information to protect Chinese trade interests and this screwball fantasy of the Second Amendment (connecting entertaining explosive devices with the right to bear arms).

What are the toxins in fireworks?  Colorful sparks are produced by heavy metals.  Each metal produces a different color when burned.  The common heavy metals that are used in fireworks include: thallium, strontium, vanadium, potassium, titanium, barium, copper, lead, magnesium, aluminum, mercury, antimony and zinc.  You may have noticed that fireworks never have a list of ingredients.  That's a risk we are accepting from a country that uses the bodies of executed political criminals for organ donations.  China has very bad records on environmental issues and consumer safety.  There is no regulation or labeling of fireworks to help people understand what poisons they are sprinkling over their neighborhood.  

Heavy metals cause many serious problems including brain damage and birth defects.  These effects are especially pronounced in children.   Phosphorous and sulfur are also common toxic components.  They generally cause breathing and allergic problems.  Asthma sufferers, usually children, are often affected by fireworks displays.   Perchlorates [EPA document on Perchlorates] are another, probably more dangerous component in the propellants of the rockets.  This noxious crap is popping up in water supplies all over the USA.  It causes a variety of hematological and gastrointestinal problems.   Fireworks which do not produce colorful sparks do not generally produce heavy metals contamination, but they are rich sources of perchlorates and a variety of other irritating chemicals.  

Clearly, these metals are more heavily produced by the large rockets at public displays, but the colorful showers of sparks that gibbering morons set off in my alley produce rather large amounts that do not get the benefit of wind dispersal at high altitudes.  Studies have shown that public displays produce measurable amounts of heavy metal contamination 50-100 miles down wind.  Your neighbor's roman candles put all of that poison right into your yard.  Add together the total number of dimwitted terrorists in the state of Minnesota, and you'll have a surprising amount of heavy metal contamination in residential areas irrespective of the huge displays that may be upwind from your home.  New technology rockets disperse their toxic displays at lower altitudes, which means that even the large public displays are spreading their poison in more concentrated areas.  Many are shot off over bodies of water where the metals further poison the fish and waterfowl.   Superheated sulfuric gasses produce ozone, which increases smog, and acidification, which damages soil and plant life.  There are generally rulings in place that exempt fireworks from air quality and pollution regulations.  

It is clearly time that we take a closer look at this socially accepted practice of contaminating and terrorizing our neighborhoods.  Maybe it's time to set up road blocks to catch fireworks smugglers and arrest them as terrorists and polluters.  Maybe it's time to drastically curtail the wanton and orgiastic use of public fireworks displays.  I for one am sick of this.  Am I the only one??

NEWS: AP-- RIALTO, Calif. Sept. 29, 2003-- Gov. Gray Davis signed into law Monday two bills that would make it easier to track pollution from a toxic chemical that was used to fuel Cold War-era missiles.

Perchlorate, which has been found in water supplies in at least 22 states, has been linked to thyroid damage, though it is unclear what constitutes a dangerous level of the pollutant.

Davis signed a bill that requires users of perchlorate during the past 53 years to report its use, storage or leaks. The measure also gives water boards the authority to require owners of perchlorate facilities to provide clean drinking water when perchlorate contamination is found.

The governor also signed a bill to establish a statewide database to track contamination. It requires owners of perchlorate facilities within five miles of any public wells contaminated by the chemical to disclose cleanup work.

Perchlorate has forced the shutdown of hundreds of wells in California and it has been found in much of the lower Colorado River -- the main water source for 20 million people across the Southwest.

"These bills strengthen protection measures to ensure that our drinking water supplies are safe and healthy," said Arthur G. Baggett Jr., chairman of the state Water Resources Control Board.

California is developing a drinking water standard for perchlorate. No such state or federal standards now exist.