And the rocket's red glare, the firecrackers bursting in air...

I've been at my parent's house in New Jersey the last couple days for the 4th of July holiday. Lots of firecrackers going off, which is amasing since fireworks are highly illegal in New Jersey. Of course, all the people setting them off will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, right?

Of course not. Which begs the question: if you are going to have something that is illegal, but pretty much tollerated with a wink and a nod, why make it illegal at all? All you do is turn law abiding people into criminals and prevent some people from doing something they want to because it's illegal.

There are two reasons to ban fireworks - public safety and annoyance. On the first, I think people should be responsible enough to decide for themselves if they want to take the risk. I find fireworks going off at 4 in the morn rather annoying, but there are usually zoning/noise ordinances to deal with that.'

Of course, this wink and nod illegallity exists in a ton of places - underage drinking, drugs, guns, and speeding. All areas I wish there was a little more public freedom and a lot less half-assed government control. Half-assed policing of things lots of people engage in means that a few people get punished for things that most people do.