Be a good neighbor: Stow those fireworks. Resist the temptation to buy them, resist the temptation to set them off in your neighborhood. Don't become your local "terrorist."
Believe it or not, it's NOT unpatriotic to celebrate the Fourth without snap-crackle-pop.
For years my dad (a WWII vet) nose-dived at the sound of firecrackers and other little celebratory explosions. Once he almost killed a kid who set one off right behind him as he and Mom were walking down a street. (No, he didn't lay hands on the kid, thank God, because Mom was there to grab him and talk him down. But he headed that way in full combat mode.)
So before you light the things, read a couple of the other diaries here about how vets react to those sounds. How frightened they get. How the night has become another night of terror for them. Do they deserve that?
Then think about the animals. On the same diary, people started talking about how animals react to those sounds. My dog broke every tooth in her head trying to escape the house one holiday when we were unfortunately away. She's toothless now, and I've got thousands of dollars of damages still to deal with. Do your neighbors' pets deserve these nights of sheer terror?
Not enough? Then try this statistic: House fires double nationally on the Fourth, and half of them are caused by fireworks. Your fire department dreads this holiday. They know they're going to have to risk their lives twice as often because people are going to shoot off fireworks in residential neighborhoods.
Emergency rooms in your area are even now gearing up, not just for the drunk drivers, but for the fireworks accidents: burns, lost fingers, lost eyes.
In many place, lighting those fuses is illegal. In my home state, it's a misdemeanor. You can only buy fireworks by signing a statement that you intend to use them for "agricultural purposes." Yeah, those crows are really chewing up your lawn at ten p.m. But I guess it's worth it because you'll likely only get fined if enough of your neighbors call the cops.
But all around you are people who are ducking-and-covering because they're veterans, or dealing with terrified animals or even children, while keeping an eye on their roofs for fear of fire.
Be a good neighbor: stow those fireworks.