Use common sense when celebrating independence

I’ve never been a huge fan of fireworks.
They scare me and I fear for the person setting them off. I just get nervous and jittery.
I suppose I’ve written too many stories about the hazards of fireworks over the years; each one starting off with a horror story about something exploding before it should have, someone losing a finger or their body being burned.
Not comfortable around fireworks doesn’t even come close to my fears.
And I can hear them a mile away ... with my windows closed, the air conditioner on full blast and the television cranking.
Now, in a controlled environment, like the Fabulous Fourth where firefighters are in charge of the show, I feel much more comfortable.
It used to be that fireworks were shot on the Fourth of July. All the hoopla and hollering was over in one night, or at least in one weekend.
That’s not so bad.
This year, fireworks started on Memorial Day and have not let up.
It sounds like hunting season in northern Harrison County.
It used to be that these fireworks that went boom or soared through the air were illegal in Kentucky. Not any more.
In 2011, our state leaders realized that millions of dollars were going to Tennessee and Indiana from summertime revelers. In order to keep some of that money from crossing state lines, they legalized the sale and use of most fireworks in Kentucky.
The hitch, for some, is that each municipality and county government can set its own standards that could be more strict than the state law.
Cynthiana and Harrison County have not adopted ordinances of their own.
Those who are selling fireworks, however, still have to have a city permit.
It’s left to citizens to use common sense.
Above everything, be safe, but also be considerate of others.
Try to get your revelry out before the wee hours of the morning.
The booming report of the fireworks may not awaken me at 3 a.m., but they certainly awaken my outside dog, who in turn tries to make a doggie door where there is none. That’s what awakens me.
On June 30, I will be at Flat Run Veterans’ Park for the Rotary Club-sponsored Fabulous Fourth event. I will watch with awe as the lights burst in the night sky.
And in the days that precede and follow, I will likely sit outside and watch as some of my neighbors set off their displays.
Things that were once illegal, like roman candles, bottle rockets and firecrackers, are now legal.
While the fireworks might be legal, it’s not a license for stupidity.
Again, while celebrating independence, be safe.