"Cool it with the boom-booms"

Ghoulardi's admonition is a good one for the national holidays--especially the Fourth of July. To the delight of many viewers of WJW in Cleveland in the early sixties, the host of Shock Theater often lit firecrackers on the set to blow up model cars, effigies of local personalities he lampooned, and even the letter he received from the fire marshal telling him to stop lighting explosives in the building. Ghoulardi did end the practice after he dispatched a big one that deafened some of the crew and started fires that took a couple dozen extinguishers to subdue.

Fireworks are associated with the celebration of many national holidays. But the best displays are those produced by professionals. Devices available for purchase by the general public can produce only humdrum pyrotechnics; for many people, the biggest thrill comes from the loud noises they make. For most of us, the pleasures of using even legally available fireworks do not outweigh the dangers. Damage to property and severe injuries are too frequently among the unintended consequences of using fireworks. Too often they burn or maim the users or, just as likely, the people standing by. Some people have lost their fingers or the use of their eyes; fireworks have killed more than a few.

Yet very often where laws prohibit the use of explosive devices marketed as recreational products, local authorities do not have the time or the will to counsel or punish violators. Even if stricter regulation is not forthcoming, even if current laws are not enforced, we should exercise the greatest caution in the use of these very dangerous devices, or, best of all options, avoid their use altogether.