Dear All,
I can see all sides of this, and, one way and another all are right in their own way. However.
One of the problems is that fireworks are available all year round nearly. Once upon a time - and it was not that long ago - they were only available a week before Nov. 5, and after that, that was that. None. The fireworks then obtainable were sufficient and the range perfectly acceptable.
True, there are louder ones now but they are less. Import and mfg. legislation brought in about 1.5 to 2 years ago limited the dec. levels, and this has made a great difference. The ground shaking explosions that were about for a few years prior to 2 years go are not available any more, and the use of any such detonations above the limit is now illegal. The UK Mfg licences/Excise & Import bodies have been very effective in dealing with this matter.
As to 'accidents' - which as we know no such thing exists... there always being a cause... it is inevitable that whatever the gnrl. populous do, they will always find a way of harming themselves with it. What is to be done...? Just for the sake of a number of idiots, why does the vast majority of sensible users have to be penalised and suffer. Ok, the solution is relatively easy... make the purchase of fireworks only available to those in excess of 25 or 30 years old, and anyone caught possessing/using fireworks below that age makes their parents or them liable to a £100 fine or 1 month detention. Since we live in such a ridiculous PC world these days, who would be brave enough to introduce such legislation???
Urban areas do indeed suffer I know, however, a relation who lives in Maidenhead has stated that this last two years have been very much better - their Labrador has suffered much in that past.
I am certainly definitely against the banning of fireworks whatever is said. It is a right that the population has possessed for a very long time, however, anything above and beyond what was available in the 1980's (say), could easily be withdrawn without causing trouble. The trouble is, people see these huge displays else where, and feel they must emulate as near as possible the loudness of what they have seen - indeed, the Keep-Up-With-The- Joneses' plays a significant factor in all this... 'who can make the loudest noise!.
So, at the end of the day, it boils down to availability and reasonableness. As to reasonableness, well, this is up to Govt. to set the rules back down to what they were in the 1980's or thereabouts. All these multiple mortars, etc. etc., are just a Mktg. thing that people have latched onto like the ridiculous and very organised mktg. Americanisation in GB of Haloween. Something which I find totally obscene... in as much that children think they must do it otherwise their friends think they are not 'cool'. How I detest that word... and how much the Mktg. people use it... and the people follow like lemmings...............!
To summarise. I feel sorry for people and animals in Urban/City areas that must suffer due to Govt. lack of control, in as much that the Police have their hands tied to do anything about it. As to other less populated areas, well, the problem is less. As to the idiots who missuse fireworks make them unobtainable or the enforced penalaties of possessing same a worth while deterrent. BUT, to ban them no, there are many out there who have respect for them and use them properly, and why should they be denied for the sake of the idiots and foolhardy?
Regards, Bernard
