To the editor:

The laxly enforced ban on fireworks in Lawrence serves as an apt metaphor for this country (“Hardly a ban,” Journal-World, July 8). Over the past decade, the U.S. has tended to ignore those laws which were enacted to serve the common good. Parochial interests have taken precedence over the welfare of the many. This casual disregard of the law is evident in Washington and on Wall Street and has resulted in the disasters in Iraq and to the American economy. Those charged with enforcing the law understand that the game is rigged and are encouraged to look the other way.

Who profits? Not just those selling the explosives, but those who can buy legislators to rewrite laws in their favor. Your final comment, “We can only hope that judgment and courtesy will increase in years to come,” is as uplifting and empty as the most colorful firework. Alas, instead of fighting to enact and enforce legislation for a more just and secure society, most Americans have resigned themselves to merely watching (or complaining about) the impending detonation.