What do you mean you're not taking firework complaints?

Good morning folks and happy Fourth of July! Today is a grand day. It is our Independence Day. Be proud to be part of this great country folks! We are definitely freer than most countries and I am personally grateful for that. I would like to thank our Fore Fathers, those in the military, and everyone who took part in making this day special. With that said I want to thank those in Ancient China who invented something that has been a staple of our Independence Day and every major holiday. This invention is also the cause of many headaches and neighbor disputes.

According to whoinventedit.net, “Fireworks are said to have originated in ancient China. The popular story goes that a cook mixed together saltpeter, charcoal and sulphur. The mix started burning. The cook went a step further and placed it in a bamboo tube. It exploded and the first fireworks came to be.” The use of fireworks has always been fun but recently they have been the cause of fires. Take for instance a fire that occurred this past Sunday in Kentwood, Mich. that destroyed a local church. WOOD TV8 spoke with the Kentwood police chief stating, “authorities have determined a blaze that devastated St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church was probably caused by fireworks.” Adding to the complaint of fireworks comes a new law that was recently passed in Michigan where the original was amended to expand the types of fireworks that may be sold. The explanation of the new law can be found at michigan.gov.

The law causes a major concern of ongoing firework use because of the heat wave that has smothered West Michigan. Dry conditions and firework sparks can be a lethal combination. Adding to this is a small part of the new law in reference to the use of fireworks and how it will be enforced. This portion of the law reads,

MCL 28.457(2) allows local units of government to enact an ordinance regulating the ignition, discharge, and use of consumer fireworks; however, an ordinance enacted shall not regulate the use of consumer fireworks on the day before, the day of, or the day after a national holiday.

National holidays, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 6103, are:

  • New Year’s Day, January 1.
  • Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January.
  • Washington’s Birthday, the third Monday in February.
  • Memorial Day, the last Monday in May.
  • Independence Day, July 4.
  • Labor Day, the first Monday in September.
  • Columbus Day, the second Monday in October.
  • Veterans Day, November 11.
  • Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November.
  • Christmas Day, December 25.”

So what does this mean for tonight and tomorrow night? Well folks, it means that if people are setting off fireworks tonight into the wee hours or tomorrow, the police can’t do anything about it. Unless your property is in direct danger you will get to listen to pops and booms that come as close as we will ever get to living within a warzone. So happy Fourth of July and make sure to take your sleeping pills or drink some booze because it’s going to be a long night. Cheers!

Err...wait a minute. One last thing people. If you happen to call 9-1-1 for annoying fireworks and they tell you that nothing can be done, please don't shoot the messenger. You might just end up talking to me and well...I'm just doing my job.