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More Sounding Off Against Fireworks

By Kenneth C. Ridlen / L’Observateur / July 8, 1998

DEAR EDITOR: Bravo for Mr. Dale Wolfe, Mr. Clinton Perrilloux and Ms. Trudy Bounds. She’sabsolutely right in thinking age has nothing to do with maturity. Me and mybrother are 26 and 28 years of age and we both think that people out here just do not deserve the privilege of having or using fireworks simply because they refuse to control themselves. They could care less whathappens to, oh, say, a bottle rocket once it leaves their hands. And if itcauses somebody or something harm in any way, shape or form, oh well! But if something happens to them or their stuff, look out! They’ll be on the perpetrator like white on rice, wanting to get loud and belligerent and wanting to do them something! Here’s a good example. The date was Dec. 28, 1996, about 2:30 p.m. Mybrother was cutting wood in our back yard when, all of a sudden, a bottle rocket goes flying over his head and into our neighbor’s back yard. Now,she had really dry grass back there when the bottle rocket hit. Itsmoldered a little, then went out. Then, not two seconds later, anotherbottle rocket flew overhead, landed in our pine tree and set it on fire! If we hadn’t put it out with our garden hose, it most certainly would’ve spread to our house and engulfed it. And, after all that mess, nobody wascited, fined or prosecuted.

But, hey, if Councilman Steve Thornton thinks he knows better than the voters of St. John the Baptist Parish as a whole, with his, oh-so-conciseordinance, he’s got another thing coming. His ordinance won’t do squatbesides making matters worse. And if you think I’m kidding, I’ve got avideotape of people using fireworks before the new ordinance was adopted. Believe me, it ain’t pretty. If you want a copy of the tape, call meat 651-7038.

Also, I urge readers of this fine newspaper to write in and tell of their bad experiences with fireworks to send a message to Councilman Steve Thornton that not everybody wants fireworks.

Kenneth C. RidlenLaPlace

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