In our opinion: This July 4th holiday be a good neighbor

For many in town, next week will not be much of a holiday.
The July 4th celebration will bring on a full assault of fireworks, which — for many — trigger anger, annoyance and fear.
This city allows fireworks to be used during major holidays, but that doesn’t mean it’s popular.
Besides the noise, the fear is that, with Hamtramck houses and businesses being so close together, fireworks will fall on roofs and set off fires. And then there are those who set off fireworks late at night, while most folks are trying to get to sleep.
It can, at times, sound like a war zone out there.
For pet owners, fireworks represent a nightmare for them and their for fur friends. Many dogs and cats are terrorized by the sound of fireworks, causing their owners a lot of grief.
This is not to say we are totally against fireworks, but the lack of courtesy and common sense by some only taints the spirit of the holiday.
Despite these protestations, we know this message will largely fall on deaf ears. Folks are going to do what they want, regardless of how it affects others, and certainly whatever a newspaper opinion article says.
What particularly concerns us is that we see a lot of unsupervised children using fireworks. We can only wonder what in the world their parents are thinking.
Fireworks can be very dangerous as well. According to national statistics, in 2023, there were 9,700 people nationwide who were injured.
In the year 2020, during the covid pandemic, a whopping 15,600 people across the country were injured.
Most of the injuries involve burns, hand and finger injuries, and, for some, serious damage to their eyes. There have even been deaths.
WXYZ Channel 7 meteorologist Dave Rexroth can attest to the danger of fireworks. Several years ago, he lost an eye because of his mishandling of fireworks.
Losing an eye is a huge price to pay.
In 2016, New York Giants football star Jason Pierre-Paul had a fireworks accident that required 10 surgeries and resulted in the loss of his index finger, although he continued to play for years after.
If you have to get your fireworks kicks, we suggest looking up the many fireworks shows that nearby cities offer.
Here in Hamtramck, have a festive holiday celebration, but please, be kind to your neighbors.
Posted June 27, 2025