At this evening’s Alliance City Council meeting, a ruling on fireworks was set to be changed. For many moons now, the City of Alliance has allowed for a ten-day window of setting off “4th Of July” (and surrounding days) fireworks. Ten days is the state limit. Many citizens have complained that ten days is too long a period to allow fireworks–due, they say, to the noise pollution, litter problems and concerns for the mental health of pets and those with PTSD.
On the other hand, fireworks vendors are concerned that a shorter availability will result in lower sales. Many of the fireworks stands are operated for the benefit of non-profit organizations. Others are family businesses that have been passed on over the years. Important considerations in both cases.
The City Council has voted to allow five days for fireworks sales and usage.
Now…if you think I’m gonna try to get in the middle of this debate, you’re nuts. I’ll say this, just for the sake of full disclosure. I like looking out my balcony window on July 4th and seeing fireworks. I don’t like seeing 12-year-olds set off fireworks. I don’t trust a 12-year-old with a lighter, because I myself was once 12. I’m 50, but my mental age is 12 and therefore I have never set off a firework.
So…if I’m not going to write a passionate editorial about which way this fireworks thing should have gone…what the hell am I doing here?
Well, I’m here to warn you about the dullards.
Next July, when the media (y’know…people like me) remind you about the new fireworks rules, you are going to see a lot of people griping on Facebook, approximately to the tune of:
WHEN DID THIS RULE GET MADE!?!? NOBODY TOLD ME THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN!? WHY DIDN’T THEY LET PEOPLE COME AND COMMENT ABOUT IT?!!? RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE, MUTINY MUTINY MUTINY!
“Nobody told me.” This is the great all-purpose cop out. Nobody told you to eat something today, but I’ll wager you did. Sometimes you have to exert a tiny bit of effort to be a well-informed citizen. Like, turning on your radio…going to a trustworthy, locally-originated news website…that kinda thing. And if you’re not checking in with your local media now and then, these little things slip through the cracks. Spotify is not going to tell you that the Alliance, Nebraska city council is debating reducing fireworks sales days.
“Why didn’t they let people come and comment about it?” Well, they did. Multiple times. A handful of people showed up. If the days that it’s legal to shoot off bottle rockets is a foundational piece of legislation for you, then the burden is on you to research when city council meetings are…where they are…and at which meeting dates public feedback will be collected. The website is cityofalliance.gov and believe me, it’s very easy to check out agendas for upcoming meetings. As I say to people who come in to record commercials: “If I can do this, ANYONE can do it.” And if you can’t attend a meeting in person, call a council member. Their contact info is on that same website. They genuinely want to hear what people’s opinions are on things like this. Just….not 9 months later. By then, well…the ship has sailed.
Anyway, the main point I’m ham-handedly attempting to make here is, next July you’re gonna see the dullards on Facebook complaining about this. Don’t engage them. Don’t fall into their trap of claiming to be a victim. And remember this old chestnut my late, great-grandmother passed on to me when I was but a lad of five.
“Jay-Bird, Facebook is not doing things.”
(She used to call me Jay-Bird. My great-grandpa did too.)
What I think this means is, it may make you feel good to get stuff off your chest by yapping at the universe on Facebook. Heck, I do it every now and then! But it accomplishes nothing. Accomplishment is when happens when you take your eyes away from the screen. Hmmmm. Maybe THAT’S what my great-grandmother said to me. I mean, she wouldn’t have known Facebook back in 1977. But I could definitely picture her saying that as I sat drooling before her giant Zenith console TV watching “Hollywood Squares.”