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Grandpa Takes a Knee on the Fourth of July
Crows Feet writing prompt #61
After all these years on this planet, I’ve had my share of experiences. Many have opened my eyes and, in some cases, made me a bit of a curmudgeon.
July Fourth, American Independence Day, has joined the ranks of things that don’t make sense. I’m taking a knee on the Fourth of July celebrations and I hope you’ll join me.
We have parades and parties, fireworks, and cookouts while ignoring the deaths that occurred to bring about the freedoms that we’ve celebrated all these years. Unlike the somber affairs of D-day, Pearl Harbor, and even Memorial Day, which recognize the sacrifices of soldiers, we have a celebration that inevitably ends up with more injured or dead people.
I have a growing dislike for the fireworks used in these celebrations. While first-world nations around the world are transitioning to drone spectaculars America remains entranced with bombs bursting in the air.
Properly identified, fireworks are toxic bombs bursting into the air. Full of heavy metals (colors) and incomplete combustion products (propellants), watching a fireworks show is just about as healthy as eating lead paint. Get caught by a gust carrying the huge smoke cloud your way, and you might as well pull out a carton of Marlboro Reds…
