Given the world conflict situation are fireworks in bad taste?

[MatildaTheCat]

I will preface this by saying that I’m no fan of fireworks anyway especially domestic ’ displays’ consisting of endless huge bangs which scare my dog into a state of terror.

Watching the news recently it occurs to me that seeing endless bombings of innocent civilians, many of whom are children, is essentially what firework displays are emulating. Bonfire night was originally meant to celebrate the events of the gunpowder plot to blow up Westminster. Terrorism in other words.

Is it not just a monumental waste of money and in incredible poor taste to have celebrations of this sort as people are literally being killed by actual explosives and not so very far from us?

Is there a better way of holding an autumnal celebration without using explosives?

5th November is a celebration of the fact that a mass murdering terrorist plot was thwarted.

You're being pretty silly.

Any excuse to try and get fireworks banned, which isnt going to happen any time soon. Maybe OP has forgotten countries have been bombing the shit out of each other for hundreds of years so just because todays prissy dog and cat owners are looking for any excuse to ban them, this isn't it.

Looking forward to all the forthcoming facebook posts this month of sad looking dogs pissing themselves all over the parquet.

Yes, I could get behind this and it feels like a reasonable way to deal with excessive nuisance. The displays put on by people who have thought it through are always way better as well.

Now that I’m giving it a thought by engaging with this discussion. It’s not really the displays that get to me, it’s the random lobbing around any time between now and mid November that set me off on the unresolved childhood trauma train. Mind, I’m not saying the use of fireworks must be planned around the likes of me who gets the explosion = shit yourself followed by fear and sadness effect. Just a perspective!

I doubt that the unfortunate citizens of Gaza or Beirut are preoccupied with 'bad taste'.

people are being killed every single day in every possible way, on every single continent except Antarctica. Just because you have noticed because - shock - the Middle East has blown up again - is not a reason to not celebrate.

Isn't it just!

Indeed. Agonising over the idea that people trying to stay alive in war zones might be affronted by a few Roman Candles in Surbiton isn't just self obsessed, it's absolutely fucking barking.

Given that silent ones are available now, I think the noisy ones should be banned. I know countless people for whom they have a horrible impact. Autistic people, people with PTSD, elderly people and that's before you get to pets.

If I had my way I'd ban all but silent ones for domestic use and commercial use and only allow them for specific nights (covering all faiths). Celebrate the pretty lights by all means but there is no need - particularly in residential areas - for the excessive explosive ones that are becoming more and more commonplace.

I don't care if that makes me a fun sponge. It's no fun for those people and creatures that they absolutely terrify.

My leg hurts. Ban the Olympics!

No. HTH.

Bit early for the annual firework whinge to start isn't it?

Fireworks are a million miles away from missiles and bombs.

Can’t stand fireworks.

They bring so much unnecessary stress and misery to animals and certain people I don’t see how they aren’t banned or strictly silenced.

People are strangely attached to fireworks 😅

I think we're right on time! Entitled pet owners complaining are a real fixture of the Mumsnet October.

It's not just about pet owners being entitled though, is it? Although I'd question whether it's 'entitled' to not want defenceless animals terrified out of their wits.

What about the people that they impact? Including ones who have disabilities? Are they entitled too? Or are they actually entitled to be minding their business in their own homes of an evening without completely unnecessary and excessively loud booms causing them pain, distress and trauma?

You think I'm exaggerating there? I'm not. Try working in my profession^^ and you'll see otherwise.

It's not just pets though. It's vulnerable people and we are fortunate to have lots of wildlife around s if dogs and cats are scared so are foxes, badgers and deer.

It's not just about that. However, I'm referring specifically to entitled pet owners complaining.

And yes, telling other people they ought to change their behaviour because of the predictable impact of your (general) decision to own a pet in a society you knew full well had an annual fireworks festival when you chose to get the pet is absolutely and unequivocally entitled. It happens every year, and this thread will no doubt progress that way.

Other forms of complaint about fireworks exist, but they don't legitimise that particular one.

I don't mind organised firework displays, but I wish people didn't use them in their gardens, especially at random times of the year to celebrate a birthday or something. I've got used to soothing the dog during the first week of November, but when you're woken up at midnight on a Wednesday by small explosions because it's Nicky's 40th, it's bloody annoying.

I loathe fireworks but, whilst I do see what you're saying, I think it's a stretch.

Mumsnet seems to be very anti fireworks in a way that I just don't see in real life.

I don't correlate fireworks with war and bombs in the way that people seem to on here either.

I see fireworks as a celebration and a pretty display of light.

There are arguments against them. They can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, they are very noisy and I don't like the thought of frightening pets and wildlife.

There are certainly arguments for restricting public sale and restricting them to certain nights of the year.

Some people seem to want to ban anything that they don't like.

Except there is (motorbike noise) - https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldlwa/40525wa1.pdf

Just don't see how the two are related. There's little enough joy and fun in the world as it is, do you want to ban EVERYTHING Just in case someone, somewhere is offended? I'm that case it's a pretty long list OP...

@Rass there are several displays on round here and they all sell out every year.

I don't think that the hatred on mumsnet reflects the general public.

Most of us just live and let live.