EDITORIAL
Fireworks remain part of 4th, as does safety

It's nearly the Fourth of July, so it is time for another sermon from these pages on the dangers of fireworks.

Those who love their fireworks no doubt skip right over these messages (another comes just before New Year's Eve).

Those who are bothered by fireworks do not need this counsel. They already know what they think: The noise, the smoke pollution, the fires, the injuries and — from time to time — deaths have made up their minds for them.

So why bother?

The answer is simple. For all the fun, excitement and festive nature of fireworks, they cause both danger and damage.

There is no way around it.

Or is there?

A recent syndicated column by John R. Lott and Ruth Smith, both associated with the American Enterprise Institute, argues that the threat of fireworks use is way overblown.

They offer statistics that just six people a year died in fireworks accidents from 1990 to 2002. That's far less than bathtub drownings and other domestic accidents, they point out.

Setting aside the use of the word "just" associated with any death, these are statistics worth considering.

But also consider this:

Lott, it might be remembered, is the researcher who came to the conclusion that allowing citizens to legally carry concealed weapons makes a community safer.

One of his arguments on tough fireworks laws is that they drive enthusiasts underground or away from supervision, where the potential for accidental damage becomes greater.

He asks this question:

"How effective can any (fireworks) ban be, short of erecting a wall around a state?"

Well, if there is any state with a "wall" around it, it is Hawai'i, which is surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean.

We are now operating under a permitting system, which limits the amount of fireworks that can be purchased and offers at least minimal guidelines for safety and use.

So, on Sunday, we once again ask: Use care, keep dangerous fireworks out of the hands of children, resist the urge to shoot off illegal aerial fireworks and — best of all — skip the backyard pyrotechnics and instead plan on attending one of the fabulous professional displays that are planned.