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.

Some people find fireworks fun, however many don't.

I feel like I need to take a break from this platform what do I keep reading!

get a grip and grow up. Jesus Christ isn’t their a board that these idiots can go and post pointless weird unreasonable questions

Yanbu. I heard many fireworks last night and couldn’t help but feel it was distasteful considering the bombing happening in Gaza at the same time.

Is this the first war you think it should have stopped for? There’s wars and conflicts all over the world, mostly in “third world” countries and I’ve never seen this suggested.

FYI I think private fireworks should be banned but not for this reason.

This has to be a wind up!

But there’s wars going on all of the time.

There are multiple people in the UK who have PTSD and absolutely hate fireworks.

I don’t think fireworks should be stopped because the of the issues in Israel but I do think they need to be highly regulated.

They are extreme dangerous and every year our public services are stretched because of idiots playing with them.

They are also very traumatic for those with PTSD or for pets, farm animals and wildlife.

Some countries do noiseless fireworks which I think is a great idea.

But I would still like them to be more regulated and not be available to be purchased by any old idiot.

Ah, 'tis the time of year when the seasonal moaners think up any old tosh they can to gripe about Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas.....

Happily see their usage restricted to select dates.

BUT I somehow guess no one will be petitioning to stop all the Diwali celebrations using fireworks.

Our local Gurdwara has a massive display every year. Is the fact they're lighting up the night with explosions worse because it's in the name of religion?

And they're will be tons for NY.

Should we also limit food to basic rations and close anywhere fun because of the attrocities enacted elsewhere?

@SisterMichaelsHabit wrote:
And it's only really celebrated to such a ridiculous extent in GB.

Not sure what point you're trying to make there. Are you suggesting that festivals are only legitimate if they are celebrated internationally? Yes, Bonfire Night on 5th November is only really celebrated in GB. But only people in the USA really celebrate (with fireworks) their Independence Day. And Bastille Day is only really celebrated in France.

For that matter, Las Fallas is only really celebrated in Valencia, and Festa Del Redentore in Venice. If celebrations which only exist in one country are out, then those limited to a particular city are a complete disgrace!

@feralunderclass it hasn't passed me by.
But I'm also able to separate fantasy and reality.
Are you normally this unhinged or do you think you need a break from the news?
With Halloween and bonfire night upon us, I don't know mentally and emotionally how you will make it through the next couple of weeks 🙄

Oh good grief. Of course you read the Guardian rolls eyes. In what way, shape or form are FIREWORKS remotely comparable to an F-16 missile??! Get a grip.

I hate fireworks and would gladly see them banned anyway but YABU.

As already stated, unless we've been fired at, and maybe have PTSD as a result, we cannot comment.

Try asking the older generation. The ones who went through (or heard their parents talking about) WW2. If anyone is going to be traumatised by fireworks then it would be them, but we still have firework parties decades later. They never got them banned. (And my mother was actually on a street in London that got bombed).

Why is this country so full of complete misery guts who love to moan and hate to see anyone else having fun?!

There's always a war somewhere in the world...if we go by this logic we won't ever be allowed to see fireworks.

The fireworks we let off on Nov. 5th are to signify that Guy Faulkes failed in his attemt to blow up the Houses of Parliament and was stopped by the authorities. It has bugger all to do with the war.

Still having parties doesn't mean there aren't people sitting in their houses terrified, especially soldiers who might have seen front line action in battles.

Yeah, I'm sure the people of Gaza give a shit if someone on another land mass sets off fireworks.

Yup. Ridiculous.

I often ask why this country is full of people who call others misery guts just because they enjoy (or don't enjoy) different things, but hey ho!

It's well known that whizzing and banging fireworks are a problem for those with PTSD isn't it?

Someone in our family has an issue with the really douff-douff-douff ones that you feel in your chest and well as some of the whizzers that sound a bit like missiles.

Silent or quiet fireworks would be much better.

No, I don’t think decades-long traditions should be cancelled because of unrelated events in other countries 🙄

If we don’t have fun because innocent people are being murdered at the same time, we’d never be able to have any fun at all 😕

I’m actually not a big fan of fireworks because of how they scare wild animals, but I don’t think this latest war in the middle east should change how Britain celebrates bonfire night.

November the 5th and the breast beating blue meanines ride again.

YAB ridiculous OP.

You think soldiers are sitting in their houses terrified because of fireworks?