It's all (c)opyrighted: Fireworks for Freedom!

****NOTE: THIS POST IS FROM JULY 3, 2011, WITH A NEW HEADLINE, UPDATE, AND PHOTOS ADDED *****

Yesterday Husband and I made the obligatory out-of-state fireworks run, patriotically spending money while avoiding higher in-state taxes on other purchases.

Fireworks in Massachusetts are illegal for amateurs; however, a bill (H3372) has been introduced that allows towns to let people register for a permit. The theory is that instead of running around putting out fires willy-nilly, the fire departments will know where potential blazes may occur. Kind of like 'Minority Report' with hoses ....

The potential tax revenue is almost $1 million. According to sponsor Rep. Richard Bastien, R-Gardner, the Commonwealth might capture some of the $40 million home pyrotechnics business that has traditionally thrived across the border. But for now the penalty is a fine from $10-100 if you get caught, which doesn't include other random violations you may be obliviously guilty of and cited for .....

... Gotta getta bang on the Fourth. So Husband and I drove 50 miles the back way in our heaviest vehicle (it's moose migration season) across the state line and into a primo parking space at the fireworks store.

Inside, people were packed in like, er, firecrackers and I immediately felt overwhelmed and overstimulated by the towering stacks of brightly-colored cardboard packaging. Graphics of spaceships, ninjas, gods and goddesses, planes, knights, not to mention big guns, dazzled alluringly under fluorescent light with enough glare to blind you to the BOGO special.

I know nothing about fireworks, but quickly bored trying to get up to speed on jargon concerning mortars, repeats, reports, and the merits of peonies versus chrysanthemums. I immediately picked out some army tanks in cool blue packaging (WARNING: Shoots Flaming Balls). Lost in visions of recreating the second Battle of El Alamein, I left all other choices up to our resident rocket scientist.

Later, while Husband waited in line, I pulled out my camera and starting clicking. The displays looked very Andy Warhol-like to me, except instead of soup they were explosives.

I wish the lighting had been better, because all but one shot is disappointing. Also, other customers kept rudely interrupting my shots in order to rudely take something off the table to rudely buy it, all while rudely apologizing profusely. Every time I had all of the Medusa heads lined up (not looking at me), someone would grab one and put me in jeopardy of turning to stone .... (Look, I'm in a fireworks store. I'm trying to minimize risk.)

One patron thought I was sending the pics to someone off-site for feedback and said, good idea. Personally I thought it was a lame idea. Anyway, for some reason I felt like an undercover agent acting like a customer who for some reason wanted to act like an undercover agent while photographing the merchandise ....

Ok, maybe I've seen 'Inception' one too many times on HBO lately .... Or maybe I just dreamed I saw 'Inception' one too many times on HBO ....

In fact, the best shot is of the flag-motif skirting velcroed to the display tables. That's what the picture is.

I think it's pretty great to live in a country where you can drive across state lines without presenting papers, buy some explosive chemicals known as black powder packed inside cardboard cylinders in brightly colored boxes that you can't get in your state legally at least not yet, take pictures of said product, post them on your Facebook page and then motor back home, write a blog about it, and set them off -- all while eluding the fireworks police (and moose).

Or is it?

Ok, maybe the point is there is a lot of gray in red, white, and blue. Kind of like the photo .... The Founding Fathers and Mothers loved to argue about the principle of freedom, and they were also smart enough to realize we citizens of the future would love to argue about it too. With ourselves, even.

So all in all I guess they got things right.

Have a safe Independence Day celebration! Let us never lose sight of the idealistic principles this country was built on!

For an interesting piece on the status of legal fireworks, see

Bans on Fireworks Lifted to Bring New Tax Revenue

from the July 3, 2011, issue of The New York Times.

For interesting treatments on freedom, see The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Pass it along and remember, It's all (c)opyrighted(c)2011(c)(c)

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UPDATE: July 2, 2012

A hearing was held on H3372 by the legislature's Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on February 27, 2012. A coalition of opponents including fire service, police and the medical community sent a letter to the joint committee outlining their concerns. No action has been taken.

Massachusetts is one of four states prohibiting sales of fireworks.

Sources:

westwood.patch.com/articles/fire-chief-opposed-to-fireworks-bill

www.metrowestdailynews.com

Wikipedia.com

I managed to get a few photos in the store this year despite the glare (from the light, not the owner, I mean). Humble apologies to Andy Warhol .....