@ThisJoyousFatball
Your hostility throughout this thread just makes me feel sad.
I've no doubt someone at some point will refer to you as a troll and maybe report you. The topic pertains to the death of an living creature due to something that gives less than 30 mins of fun. Not really justifiable in any way. As previous posters rightly pointed out. It has a wider impact on children and adults with neurodiversity and veterans. Some people are just scared. It's fine to have an opposing opinion but there's no need to be so goading and dismissive. Your comments are not only ignorant but it's coming across like you're enjoying provoking people.
Your responses very much present like you have incredibly low emotional intelligence. Not everyone will be an animal lover. But I imagine the majority of those people still wouldn't be comfortable with an animal being distressed. Fireworks are proven to distress lots of animals, often causing a fatal reaction. Are you really ok with that? I'm struggling with that.
I'm not going to judge you as there's always a chance your hostility is not opinion based, but a reflection of your own issues and you're using an anonymous forum to lash out and provoke people as a way to release tension or detract yourself from your own reality. Maybe it's to seek attention, maybe you have mental health issues. Or maybe you're just responding like this to get a reaction to either alleviate boredom or get a response to combat loneliness. Who knows. Maybe it's none of those things and you're just a bad person. I don't know. We can only but wonder and I suppose it's irrelevant but I would honestly urge you to think about what you've said.
I appreciate I don't know your background or what you've been through. But I will tell you my background. I don't usually discuss this element of my life but since this is anonymous I'm hopeful it might make you more considerate. I don't want sympathy, I just would like to try and make you understand.
I'm ex military. It was obviously my choice to join the military and expose myself to certain conditions and I wouldn't change that part of my life for anything. I enjoyed it. I served in 8 tours inc conflict. I returned home from a tour of Iraq in october 2024. During that tour I was shot at, lived with rpg's flying over my head, dealt with colleagues being killed, had first hand experience of IEDs and saw things I wouldn't want others to see. It may sound dramatic to you but it's quite simply fact and quickly became the norm for a lot of us. On the surface, it didn't really bother me. At the time it was a job, it fuelled adrenaline, I was young, and blasé I just cracked on. I was a lucky one who didn't get MH issues from what I saw and have a strong resilience. If anything I was a bit dead on inside and very much thought I was last person who'd have an issue.
a few weeks after my tour ended and I got back to England it was bonfire night. I was excited to be home and catch up with everyone and I've always loved a good firework (not bothered about bangs but I do very much enjoy the colours and lights and atmosphere).
After over half a year being exposed to rpgs / gunfire/ and ieds in Iraq, it become a regular part of life, I didn't understand that my normal for so long was to be on high alert. I thought I'd get back to the uk and life would go back to normal as usual after like any other tour (I'd been on tours before inc Kosovo war so not my first ball game!)
That firework night was horrific. The first bang made me drop to the floor. I was constantly on edge despite logically knowing I was safe. I thought I'd lost my mind and was embarrassed. I could write reems of how I felt that night, the lack of control, the fear. The argument in my brain that it's a fireworks night and it's fun, and the other side telling me I was under attack.
That night couldn't be over quick enough for me. I didn't tell the people I was with. I was mortified. They laughed about me dropping to the floor initially and my oddness that night was overlooked. Afterwards I dismissed it as I'd just got back to uk so just muscle memory. I wasn't bothered by what happened on tour so took it to be a one off. But it's stayed with me.
I have a DD now who unfortunately for me loves fireworks. I force myself to go for her sake but it is a mental challenge as sometimes I'm fine, just a bit jumpy, sometimes not so fine. I fight through it. Largely because I'm still embarrassed to admit they bother me and bring back memories I don't want to either remember or deal with. I had counselling and I'm generally ok, other things can trigger it but those incidents are few and far between. Fireworks night is an obvious one and at some point during fireworks and new year I know I'm going to have to deal with it.
I'm not weak person. Alot of people who know me would be very surprised by this. I keep my struggles quiet, largely because of people like you. Someone rightly pointed out that fireworks affect veterans. Your response was "Load of old cobblers". "There may be a few Johnny Rambos out there going loco in the jungle when they hear a bang"
You and your ignorance are the reason why so many veterans struggle in silence. The fear of judgment and ridicule from people like you. You might be a veteran yourself or be related to one (I doubt it) i don't know. If you are though, the military family would be extremely ashamed of you.
If you think those WW2 veterans at the remembrance parade on Sunday gone didn't have combat fatigue and at some point didn't need the silence and didn't jump at loud bangs then that's just further evidence of your ignorance.
I joined the emergency services when I left the military. Working Fireworks night if part of the job but it takes a considerable amount of mental willpower and strength to constantly tell myself it's a firework and it's ok. Being at work on fireworks night is actually easier than being at home as working keeps my head busy and detracts me from The bangs and prevent memories being provoked. I'm not loco as you so nicely say, it's a small part of me now that i accept and manage. I'd rather not have to but hey ho.
Sadly my role now means I've seen injuries from fireworks, I've had them fired at me and although theyre pretty. They are dangerous and damaging.
I would love to see fireworks banned from sale to private buyers, silent fireworks only, and only to be used an properly organised licensed events.
And for what it's worth I really love all animals and wouldn't want to see any suffer. I'd rather you missed out of the fun of hearing a loud bang than see a horse petrified in a nearby field or a dog quivering under a table.
I'm resigned to fact that you'll likely respond to this with sarcasm, belittling and dismissive comments. I'm ok with that as it says more about you than me.
Please don't at any point (if you even bother to read this) think you've upset or affected me. You haven't. I'm numb to people like you now. I wanted to reply though in hope of making you think and hopefully stop you affecting others who might either hear or read your ignorant attitude towards veterans who aren't quite as accepting of interpersonally challenged people like yourself. I'm not optimistic based on your previous response to posters very fair and justified opinions but one can but try.