Ingraham letter: Aerial fireworks

“And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” With the Fourth coming up I want to defend “aerial fireworks.” I know you cultural snobs look down on us who do enjoy them, but I could care less. In a free country I should have the right to buy and light off what I want. Thousands of my fellow Idahoans love to celebrate the holiday my way, and you can only point to a couple instances of abuse. The vast majority just have a good time once a year and call it a night. However, fire chiefs and snobby do gooders always want to stop the fun in the name of safety. We are tired of your nanny-state snobbery. I reenact the “Star Spangled Banner” once a year and I don’t care what you think. It’s always in the name of “safety” that they stick their noses in our business. Don’t like “aerial fireworks?” Then don’t buy any. Stick to sparklers and snakes and have a good time.

This story was originally published July 3, 2017 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Ingraham letter: Aerial fireworks."