Explosives

On this, the 300th post, I wanted to get a little political on everyone. No doubt some have figured out where I am and said, "It figures" or "I knew it!" but this is a different politics.

The politics of labeling and marketing.

Quick pop quiz - Why do American's set off fireworks on the fourth of July? Is it to reenact the battle for independence? Perhaps to recreate what Francis Scott Key saw out the window of the ship when he wrote the star spangled banner? We may never know, because now it is all about making noise and starting fires.

Fireworks are responsible for thousands of injuries and scores of thousands of dollars in property damage, mainly because most folk who handle them are inexperienced with explosives.

Yes, "fireworks" are explosives. Flammable compounds, gun powder, magnesium and a fuse. Explosives. The truck that delivers your explosives to the local Wal-Mart is placarded by DOT as carrying dangerous materials. Explosives.

Possibly millions of children and even more adults will run to the local store or, in some places, the giant local fireworks shop for a selection of bottle rockets (fire relocation devices), M80s (finger relocation devices) and countless other bright paper covered, shiny, nifty named explosive charges with the intent of setting them off on the Fourth of July.

I say leave it to the professionals. My local town has an impressive display launched from a barge on the river. As the fireworks go, the barge floats slowly downstream so you have a good view all the time.

"Oh Happy, lighten up, its the 4th! What are you? A commie?" For not giving my children explosives to celebrate signing a paper? If we were celebrating the invention of dynamite, maybe I could buy it, but setting off explosives is a dangerous way to show how proud you are of your independence.