Anyone in Burlington recall a July 4 or New Year’s Eve when they didn’t hear firecrackers or some other kind of illegal fireworks pop-pop-popping just outside the window?
Didn’t think so.
Indeed, fireworks are almost cliché even in North Carolina, where most are illegal to sell or own. Folks manage to get a gross anyway for use whenever the occasion fits — or doesn’t.
Fact is, the current law makes almost no sense. Fireworks are easy to obtain in other states — most notably South Carolina, where Myrtle Beach remains a tourism hot spot. Folks from Alamance County head to Myrtle Beach, get some sun, fried shrimp with corn dodgers and enough fireworks to send Independence Day off in style.
The law does little to protect North Carolina residents from physical harm from pyrotechnical devices since the things aren’t that hard to obtain away.
And really, it seems that law enforcement has much more important issues to deal with. It’s hard to think of anything more trivial than a firecracker bust.
So, a Gaston County lawmaker in the state House would like to make firecrackers legal in North Carolina. It’s not the worst idea we’ve ever heard. Prohibition never stops commerce. Where there’s a demand, there will be a supply.
What’s more, by allowing the sale of fireworks beyond the few that are legal now, our state government will be helping businesses — and the taxes collected on sales can go into North Carolina coffers, not South Carolina’s.
The laws against fireworks, to be sure, took root when some legislator convinced others that Tar Heel residents would be safe from harm if government decided to keep fireworks out of their hands. It’s good-hearted but seldom works.
Individuals must take responsibility for safety — their own and others around them — when they choose to use fireworks. We hope people would heed the calls for using such devices wisely and with appropriate precautions. The chances for injury are very real. But laws cannot prevent carelessness any more than they can prevent people from getting fireworks in the first place.
Hopefully the General Assembly agrees.
Leave a Reply