Independence Day: a necessary investment

Local Fireworks Display at Knollwood Park on July 4th. Thomas Doherty/Western Herald

By David Alexander
Western Herald

July 4. For many people it brings to mind several things: apple pie, a day off work, the sudden proliferation of the old Stars and Stripes, and perhaps most notably, fireworks. Lots of fireworks.

This year, while enjoying a fireworks display, my sister inquired how much a typical Fourth of July fireworks display costs the city that puts it on. I gave her what I thought was a reasonable answer (which later research proved was WAY off). She then replied how she thought such an expense was a frivolous one. How the money could be used for more productive endeavors.

I really have to disagree.

Admittedly, I am not a person who thinks much of holidays in general. They all seem so hackneyed and trite. However, I do enjoy Independence Day and all its magnificent and often gratuitous splendor and the minimal cost of putting on a fireworks display is essential for a variety of reasons.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the most fiscally conservative people you’re likely to meet. But, when I look at this expenditure, I can’t find a reason to abstain from it. One of the best things about Independence Day is that it includes everyone. Unlike Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Hanukah and pretty much every other holiday in this country, the Fourth of July is about unity.

Those other holidays have their merits, but they are, like most other holidays, about celebrating our diversity and our differences. Independence Day is about something everyone in this country can relate to—the freedom of being an American.

Citizens’ tax dollars go to fund several things they are not likely to use or gain any benefit from. Sitting among friends and loved ones enjoying a magnificent display of pyrotechnics is not one of those things. It’s something everyone can, and probably does, enjoy.

Not to mention the cost of such a display is nothing but a drop in the bucket so to speak. Considering an average city’s yearly budget, it isn’t likely to make that much of a difference as it is. So, why not have one?

If my sister had her way, the myriad of colors that illuminate the sky and the thick sulfur smell that permeates the air once a year would be done away with. These things have a purpose even if they have become somewhat cliché. They stand as a reminder of what this country stands for. And although I doubt many people sentimentalize these notions, it doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate them.

Fireworks are symbolic. They represent our country’s struggle for freedom and provide us as a citizenry with the not-so-quiet revelry that struggle has afforded us. In an age where holidays like Christmas have become little more than a cavalcade of marketing, a government providing its people with something so simple that swallows us in it enormity could never be bad.

This gesture serves as a reminder that, despite our differences, we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Sure we could erect a statue or put up a plaque, but it would have the same affect. Fireworks are static. They are flashy, brash, in your face and unapologetic. Just like America. Fireworks are freedom with a smile. They are part of what makes this country great.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Jul 6 2010. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com