We shouldn’t be letting off fireworks while innocent families and their homes are being blown up

[Banfire]

“When the F-16s come, it is really scary and traumatic. You hear them and then the hiss of the missile and then the big blast, and then you can smell the gunpowder.
“The children are there, terrified, saying exactly this: ‘Let them just kill us for this to end.’

The quote above is an excerpt from an article in the Guardian this morning.

Is it just me or does it seem insensitive that on the 5th November, and for many days either side, we will be lighting up our sky for fun while innocent people, a large proportion of whom are children, are being blown up as if their lives meant nothing.

There are also people in this country who may find the sound and noise of fireworks traumatic. They may have been victims of war, have lost loved ones in this way or are currently fearing for the lives of their families and friends.

Fireworks aren’t fun for everyone.

If you do chose to let off fireworks for entertainment then when you watch them I hope you remember how privileged you are and the impact this might have on the people around you.

Do you raise this every year for all the ongoing conflicts? Did you post the same last year about Ukraine? I think someone did. And for Yemen, Sudan, Myanmar, Syria...

I don't like fireworks because they upset my cats and dogs. Even indoors my one dog hides behind the sofa. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just 1 weekend but no it's days before, the main weekend and days after too.

I actually think a public fireworks display with a reasonable price (if not ideally free!) will be nice for kids who don’t experience much fun or treats, especially due to the cost of living crisis. As much as I can deeply sympathise with the plight of the victims in the Palestine. Firework displays were a part of childhood for me growing up. Yes, not essential but I still have nice memories of celebrations on this day. I also love watching the New Year display in London on the TV every year.

I think this is unfair unless applied to other aspects of your life. Eg will you be having an indulgent Christmas? They can’t get food or water either but I assume most of us will have a feast and even drink alcohol let alone just water. All we can do is be deeply grateful of our privilege, explain to our children how lucky they are in an age appropriate way, and donate when we can afford to. We fortunately can and do a great deal.

Fireworks explosives shouldn't be sold to the general public full stop.

They were banned in NI years ago, so no reason why it couldn't happen here too.

OP were you this concerned last year when the Ukraine war was in its infancy? Or during the Balkan war? Or are you just trying to be dramatic?

Oh ffs

I'm not a big fan of fireworks, especially for the general public, but I have to say this is a massive reach. Just because you've decided they're correlated doesn't mean they objectively are.

Just checking to see if the OP came back.

Nope, of course not 🙄

Another one for the Middle East section.

Yes, I agree.

We should ban them for private household use. It's frightening having them go off next door with no warning on the 27th of October and the worry about where are the cats. Public displays advertised in advance I don't have a problem with.

They're not related, OP.

However I think fireworks should be limited to public displays only, for many reasons.

At a push I might clock a kid walking (clue: not staggering or collapsed) and think fancy dress.

There's simply no chance my mind would conflate a kid in fancy dress with the terrible events in Israel or Palestine.

There a a couple of grams of gunpowder in a firework. Gaza has been hit with 6,000 bombs and 4000lbs of explosive (source Aljeezrra).

To compare our day to day with Isreal or Gaza is the epitome of self indulgent claptrap.

In the words of Shania Twain...You must be joking,right?

Utterly ridiculous. People never stop blowing other people up. There are constant wars. Why this year in particular? I didn’t see any threads like this when Russia was shelling Ukraine.

I hate fireworks, I grew up in a war zone and have years of military service under my belt which has caused horrendous PTSD. (I also think they’re terrible for the environment and for animals but that’s another thread entirely). I also accept that it’s tradition here and that a lot of people enjoy it. Almost like
people can enjoy themselves AND care about horrible things going on in other parts
of the world.

Oh look, another right-on wokescold getting on there sanctimonious privileged high horse, trying to speak for other people who they’ve doubtless never met and whose opinions they neither know nor care about.

No OP, no.

other peoples suffering is not an opportunity for you to make yourself look good. We see you. Keep on virtue signaling yourself into an ecstatic frenzy though if you like.

What a ridiculous thread.

On that basis no one should ever be letting fireworks off. I hope you were also calling for this during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, during the ongoing conflicts in Congo and other African nations? And many more wars I'm too exhausted to remember. Surely all these people deserve just as much consideration and a similar lack of fireworks? There always a war going on somewhere. Everyone effected by the violence of war deserves the same consideration.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-demise-of-fireworks-how-ptsd-awareness-changed-israels-independence-day/

Meanwhile selfish complacent twats object to the mere notion that they should have to sacrifice anything that might impact them and their families.

Nevermind the 1000s of children being slaughtered in Gaza, it's the enjoyment of UK children that's important.

Even the small show of objection to the slaughter and solidarity with those children is too much to even suggest.

I hate fireworks. I would happily ban the private sale of fireworks and have only public displays and limited displays at that.

But this is a lunatic thread. Fireworks and war are very different things, and it's actually pretty offensive to compare the two.

Local Ukrainian refugees were excited to see fireworks as it had been so long since they'd seen any.

Don't give the OP more thread ideas 🙈

How would not letting fireworks off in the UK help children in Palestine and Israel?

You must be on the windup because you’re talking utter shite.

I confused. Are you saying that not going to see the local firework display this year is a good way to object to and show solidarity with what is happening in Gaza? How is that exactly?

Anyway we shall be letting off our Tesco low noise fireworks in the back garden (ds has ASD and doesn't like big crowds) and not conflating Guy Fawkes with the war in Israel or the war in Yemen, or the wars in Ukraine, Sudan, Syria or anywhere else.