They took them! They took them all!

Yes, I’m talking about fireworks; the city of Lawrence decided awhile back that its residents have lost their right to show their patriotism by blowing up their own small piece of the country. What are we to do?

With the open space I have left with on this page, I’d like to run through a simplified version of the fireworks debate between myself and my alter ego.

Caleb Powers: Fireworks are dangerous, sending several people to the hospital every year and causing damaging fires.

Alec Bowpers: Cigarettes cause more fires every year and send more people to the hospital, but they aren’t illegal.

Caleb: It wouldn’t be practical to make cigarettes illegal. Criminalizing fireworks is something that we could do to make the holiday a little safer.

Alec: What holiday is left without being able to blow up fireworks? Besides that, I think we have both seen that many communities are, in fact, making cigarettes illegal.

Caleb: Whatever, Alec. What about the mess? I’m sure you hate waking up July 5 to the fields of Black Cat wrappers and artillery shell remnants.

Alec: Yeah, the mess is a pain, but my neighborhood always spends the morning outside together cleaning up. By criminalizing them within city limits, we’re just pushing the mess out farther, where nobody has any reason to clean up. Clinton Lake is going to be less water than wax paper this July 5th, I guarantee. And speaking of pushing the fireworks outside city limits, how does that reduce the fire risk? Last I checked, dead grass is more flammable than pavement.

Caleb: But wood shingles are even worse, and besides, the whole point is that less people will use fireworks.

Alec: Wood shingles? Those are only in West Lawrence. This is just class warfare!

Caleb: Alec, no. I know fireworks can be fun, but the city is still putting on a show. Furthermore, the noise from regular fireworks gets pets excited and results in hundreds of noise complaints every year.

Alec: So the dogs and cats in East Lawrence don’t matter? More class warfare!

Caleb: Alec, no.

Alec: One show just isn’t the same. People can get a permit and shoot guns in the city all they want, or make a bonfire the size of a house, but they can’t light a 12-inch fountain in the middle of their driveway? This is un-American.

Caleb: Perhaps giving permits to those wanting to shoot fireworks would be a good idea if it was more feasible, but the situation is already hard enough to enforce; the city would have no way of checking on every user for compliance. The problem is, we cannot police common sense, and that’s the bottom line.

By Caleb Powers

Journal-World Teen Advisory Board

They took them! They took them all!

Yes, I’m talking about fireworks; the city of Lawrence decided awhile back that its residents have lost their right to show their patriotism by blowing up their own small piece of the country. What are we to do?

With the open space I have left with on this page, I’d like to run through a simplified version of the fireworks debate between myself and my alter ego.

Caleb Powers: Fireworks are dangerous, sending several people to the hospital every year and causing damaging fires.

Alec Bowpers: Cigarettes cause more fires every year and send more people to the hospital, but they aren’t illegal.

Caleb: It wouldn’t be practical to make cigarettes illegal. Criminalizing fireworks is something that we could do to make the holiday a little safer.

Alec: What holiday is left without being able to blow up fireworks? Besides that, I think we have both seen that many communities are, in fact, making cigarettes illegal.

Caleb: Whatever, Alec. What about the mess? I’m sure you hate waking up July 5 to the fields of Black Cat wrappers and artillery shell remnants.

Alec: Yeah, the mess is a pain, but my neighborhood always spends the morning outside together cleaning up. By criminalizing them within city limits, we’re just pushing the mess out farther, where nobody has any reason to clean up. Clinton Lake is going to be less water than wax paper this July 5th, I guarantee. And speaking of pushing the fireworks outside city limits, how does that reduce the fire risk? Last I checked, dead grass is more flammable than pavement.

Caleb: But wood shingles are even worse, and besides, the whole point is that less people will use fireworks.

Alec: Wood shingles? Those are only in West Lawrence. This is just class warfare!

Caleb: Alec, no. I know fireworks can be fun, but the city is still putting on a show. Furthermore, the noise from regular fireworks gets pets excited and results in hundreds of noise complaints every year.

Alec: So the dogs and cats in East Lawrence don’t matter? More class warfare!

Caleb: Alec, no.

Alec: One show just isn’t the same. People can get a permit and shoot guns in the city all they want, or make a bonfire the size of a house, but they can’t light a 12-inch fountain in the middle of their driveway? This is un-American.

Caleb: Perhaps giving permits to those wanting to shoot fireworks would be a good idea if it was more feasible, but the situation is already hard enough to enforce; the city would have no way of checking on every user for compliance. The problem is, we cannot police common sense, and that’s the bottom line.

Alec: I suppose, but I still can’t say that I support the ban.

— Caleb Powers is a senior at Free State High School.