We Did Start the Fire. Thousands of Times.

Oh say can you see that since 1777, Americans have been shooting off and marveling at the rockets’ red glare of fireworks. Yet with all the years of experience, it hasn’t always gone so well. Every Monday after Fourth of July weekend, remnants of bottle rockets and firecrackers litter lawns from sea to shining sea. Of those lawns, over 22,000 catch fire, causing $42 million in property damage. Aside from those damages, fireworks grant nearly 7,000 people the chance to celebrate their independence in an ER waiting room. Laws –including the law of unintended consequences—can’t hinder our love for these things. Clearly this is the home of the brave.