Should we cancel Independance Day?

hank

It’s becoming clear to me that every year this “celebration” becomes more and more violent / brings out more and more heavily armed nuts & misfits and results in needless killing of more innocents.

This year so far - Baltimore, Philadelphia, Fort Worth … What next? Who next?

In my part of rural northern Michigan there have been recurring explosions this evening strong enough to rattle homes. It’s a wonder some windows haven’t been broke. Nothing to do with legitimate peaceful celebration I assure you. When is enough enough?

NewsNation correspondent Sloane Glass noted that according to the Gun Violence Archive, the holiday has become synonymous with gun violence. “In 2022, more than 200 people were killed and close to 570 were wounded” during the July Fourth holiday, Glass said. Over the past weekend, shootings from coast to coast took countless lives. In Baltimore, 30 people were shot at a single block party, with victims including more than a dozen minors.

Excerpted from: https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/holidays/july-fourth-becoming-one-of-nations-most-violent-holidays/

Additional: https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/04/us/july-4-holiday-mass-shootings-dg/index.html

Old_Joe

NPR: July has already seen 11 mass shootings.

Personally, I already have. Left all of our flags in the drawer this year. Not that much to be proud of.

Crash

Agree with both of you. I dread the holiday. Idiots with artillery rounds all over the place. I'm far enough away from the public display. I can see the "rocket's red glare" without the BOOM.

This is an island. The solution is to ban ALL fireworks, but the GENIUSES in charge are too stoopid to do so. So, some fireworks are legal, the rest are not. Just try to enforce the difference, as it is happening! Shit.

Derf

After canceling the 4/th, which holiday gets the boot ?

hank

Those window rattling explosive devices (10-15 detonations) last evening well before dusk and sounding a mile or more away (probably in agricultural lands) made me wonder whether some subversive group were using the festive atmosphere of the 4th to test out / rehearse the use of munitions for a more sinister purpose in the future? Hate to sound paranoid - but this is northern Michigan. You may remember that the plot to kidnap our governor involved use of explosives to destroy a bridge near her summer residence.

Cancel the 4th? / Cancel military armaments in the hands of civilians? / Cancel idiocy?

Sven

Yes, there are many tragedies of mass shooting in several cities, but I am not sure cancelling July 4th is an answer.

Over the July 4th weekend, we spent time calling our friends and relatives to catch up with our lives, and it was great. Some sent photos of their families. Additionally, doing group FaceTime is wonderful as we all live in different part of the country.

Old_Joe

From The Guardian:

Fourth of July overshadowed by 16 mass shootings across US-

Fifteen people killed and 94 injured across 13 states as well as Washington DC


And as a nation we should be proud of this ???

catch22

The 'crazies' continue to make me nervous about being at events. Really sad. We will be attending a mid-Eastern food event with dancing and related in a few weeks. We never had concerns in prior years with this event, but, now; crap. We enjoy the food and the heritage events, and to be able to support this community.

Old_Joe

My wife mentioned to me earlier this morning that she was surprised that no one was killed at the annual Gay Pride parade a couple of weeks ago. This is what we have been brought to by the crazies, abetted by the gun lobbies.

hank

Old_Joe said:

My wife mentioned to me earlier this morning that she was surprised that no one was killed at the annual Gay Pride parade a couple of weeks ago. This is what we have been brought to by the crazies, abetted by the gun lobbies.

Yes. Of all the groups to single out for harassment. LGBT? Geez, what losers those far right whackos must be.

”Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

BenWP

As a kid I recall the fireworks stand or two that cropped up a few days before the 4th. Of course, I was fascinated by the stuff that could make the biggest bang; things called Cherry Bombs were loudest and were powerful enough to blow off a finger or two if held too long with the fuse lit. Now I'm old and hearing impaired, meaning loud noises cause me undue stress. Our dog hates thunder, but does not mind the fireworks that have been going off here for several days. My father-in-law, who participated in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, could not stand fireworks.