Lubbock Will Be Breakin' The Law On July 4th

Who's down for some law breakin'?

The fireworks stands are open, but you're not supposed to bring those fireworks inside city limits, and you are certainly not allowed to shoot them off (I guess we say "pop them" around here). What good is a law though, if nobody cares?

The threat of a $1000 fine for fireworks infractions has not frightened off anybody I know of. I know when the fire trucks cruise the streets everybody says, "Oh, chill a minute, dude" then go back to whatever they're doing.

I'm well aware of the dangers of fireworks and the disruptions to vets and pets, but I'm also a realist. I still believe there should be a "window" in which they are legal, but before and after that window, super-strick enforcement and fines. That's to say, I'm all good with you firing off fireworks between say between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on the 4th, but before and after that we should keep things chill. This would give everyone that's not a fan a time in which they could keep a closer eye on the pets, vets, and their property before going about their business.

I believe a great amount of distrust between citizens and police is due to laws that few people want to see enforced. On my block, inside city limits, I KNOW that more than half of the people actively set off fireworks in their front or backyards, so how are you going to deal with that, when those kinds of odds are probably about the same across the city? How are you going to ask policemen to worry about that when they have serious crimes they'd rather focus on?

This fireworks ordinance/law is just a bunch of hot air. We should be using the same resources to educate people on how to avoid injury, accidents, and fire. So to my fellow lawbreakers out there, have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher close by, don't hold fireworks, and know where your first aid kit is. Lastly, clean up after yourself, it's not only inconsiderate to leave your burnt-up stuff behind, it's also what the police call, "evidence".