Why on Earth do we still use fireworks to celebrate anything, let alone the Fourth of July?
Are we that selfish … or just that clueless?
Once was a time — in the not-so-distant past, I suppose — that hearing loud noises in the sky and seeing large displays of various colors gave us a happy feeling in our pants.
After all, seeing anything that high up in the sky is nearly impossible.
And in 1776, when American colonists celebrated the first Fourth of July with fireworks, that was true. Except for Ben Franklin’s kite, the sky belonged to birds, clouds and fireworks.
Original Intent?
Maybe, but Original Intent wasn’t universally good. Otherwise, men would be wearing powdered wigs and Clarence Thomas would be picking cotton for no pay at all.
And dogs apparently didn’t exist.
We have known for some years that days involving fireworks are the worst days of the year for dogs. Except for maybe the day Old Yeller died, but that’s another story.
Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that thunderstorms are terrible for them. The closer and louder the thunder is, the more your dog is whimpering and looking for a place to hide.
It’s not just scary either. Dogs that are outdoors lose their sense of direction and have trouble finding their way home.
Despite what the right wingers on the Supreme Court would like us to believe, it’s not 1776 or even 1868. Fireworks are very much a thing of the past. Want to see colors and patterns? Use your big screen TV. Want to hear loud noises? Turn up the volume.
Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend.
We ought to treat them like it.