It’s time for city to ban fireworks

It’s time, once again, for my annual rant about the discharge of fireworks within the city limits of Shreveport.

The July 4th holiday provided more evidence of why the city should emulate what many cities in the state have done – ban fireworks within the city limits.

As president of the Captain Shreve Neighborhood Association and as a Forum columnist, I continue to receive many calls every time fireworks are allowed to be discharged. Residents complain about the noise, about how they upset the elderly who are trying to sleep and about how they traumatize their pets.

But it goes beyond that. There are also complaints about fireworks being shot over houses and into the yards of some residents. With the dry conditions we have been experiencing, that was dangerous. And, even more than that, disputes over fireworks erupted into violence resulting in death and/or injury to the combatants. Finally, there are the injuries to poppers who do not follow safety rules.

I personally had an encounter of the worst kind with the people who live across from me – renters, not homeowners. Two nights before July 4th at about 9:30 p.m., they began popping fireworks, sending bottle rockets over my house. So I went out to inform them they could not discharge fireworks in the street, suggesting they do it in their backyard, and to inform them that my elderly neighbor just returned from the hospital and needed her rest, not to mention she gets upset because the booms traumatize her dog, which she adores.

They did stop. But the next morning when I went to get into my vehicle, the guy across the street yelled out that he was glad I was up early because he was going to make sure I was up early every morning and to get ready for it. That’s just one example of the people who love to pop fireworks and have no consideration for their neighbors. And, yes, I did find remnants of fireworks in my yard. Believe me, he cannot intimidate me, and I will be ready if he tries to retaliate. Unfortunately, there are people like that in every neighborhood, it seems.

It begs the question: Are the mayor and city council members more concerned about making a few bucks from fireworks vendors or are they more concerned about the welfare of the citizens of the city? That’s an easy question to answer, isn’t it? Why would the city ordinance allow fireworks to be discharged from June 24 through July 5? It seems to me that allowing residents to be disturbed for that period of time is ridiculous. And later this year, fireworks will be allowed from Dec. 15 through Jan. 1. Why such a long period in which fireworks can be discharged? I guess because of the tax dollars received from the sale of fireworks by vendors.

Here’s another glitch in the ordinance.

It says fireworks are allowed to be discharged between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Who in the world wants to hear fireworks going off at 8 a.m. in the morning? And that 10 p.m. deadline? Forget about it. Few fireworks poppers obey the law. I heard fireworks going off at 2 a.m. Oh, sure, your councilman will tell you to call the police. Don’t bother.

I called and told whoever answered the phone at SPD that I was the neighborhood association president and that fireworks were being discharged in the street and being shot over houses in my area. His response: “Well, they can pop them until 10 p.m.” I knew there would be little concern but just wanted to prove it once again. In reality, there is not much the police can do. When they do respond, the perpetrators will stop discharging fireworks, but as soon as the police drive off, they begin again. Or by the time they get there, the fireworks fanatics have moved on. Our city leaders like to pass the buck to the police, who really have more important duties.

The only solution to the problem is to ban fireworks within the city limits as some progressive cities in the state have done. To name a few: Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Ruston, Monroe, West Monroe, Houma, Thibodaux, Opelousas, Gonzales, Donaldsonville, Denham Springs, St. Francisville, Port Allen, Crowley, Abbeville and others. Fireworks are banned in the entire parishes of East Baton Rouge, Terrebonne and Ouachita.

The bottom line is this: Popping fireworks in residential areas is dangerous, not only to those doing the popping, but more so to the people, houses and pets in the area. There is no reason for it. If one is interested in fireworks, he or she can go to the public display held on the riverfront or watch fireworks displays on television.

So mayor and councilmen, what’s it going to be? Will you have the courage to step up and say enough is enough and institute a ban on fireworks within the city limits? It’s time, and it’s the right thing to do. Some city officials who defend the use of fireworks often say they don’t get many calls of complaint. Wonder why? Perhaps they are not at home or just maybe residents feel it is a lost cause. Call them anyway.

Lou Gehrig Burnett, an award-winning journalist, has been involved with politics for 44 years and was a congressional aide in Washington, D.C., for 27 years. He also served as executive assistant to former Shreveport Mayor “Bo” Williams. Burnett is the publisher of the weekly “FaxNet Update” and can be reached at 861-0552 or louburnett@comcast.net.