Every year the Fourth of July brings families and friends together for barbecues, lawn games and best of all: fireworks. Watching fountains beam bright colors or holding blazing sparklers can make anyone smile.
When buying legal fireworks, it is common to get large variety packs full of many small fireworks. According to the Oregon State Fire Marshal, legal fireworks can only be bought in Eugene from June 23 to July 6. But you can spark them whenever right? Wrong.
Eugene City Council recently passed an ordinance limiting the days when legal fireworks can be set off inside city limits with violators facing a $500 fine. The 16 days that legal fireworks can be used are now between June 23 and July 6 and December 31 and January 1. The council also voted to add using illegal fireworks to the list of violations under the Social Host Ordinance, which holds hosts criminally responsible for enabling an unruly event or social gathering.
These new laws are city council’s answers to the many complaints about the usage of illegal fireworks.
While making stricter laws about illegal fireworks seems to be a step in the right direction, it is unclear how limiting the days when legal fireworks can be used would affect illegal firework usage. Telling people when they can use fireworks may not affect what kind they use.
Junior human physiology major Mallory Kruse was not always a firework fan, although she has come to enjoy them over the years.
“I grew up being afraid of fireworks, but the people of Eugene should have the right to celebrate with legal fireworks as they wish,” Kruse said. “However, I do feel that those who misuse fireworks ruin the experience for others who enjoy fireworks responsibly.”
Lighting fireworks can be an activity for family members of all ages and while certain people try to get ahold of illegal fireworks, most families use safe and legal fireworks. These families should not be punished because of other lawless citizens.
Every year junior business major Aspyn Butzler and her family buy fireworks for the Fourth of July.
“When you get fireworks for the Fourth, you will usually use them during that period anyways. If you hold on to them and your tradition is fireworks at Christmas then you should be able to do that,” Butzler said. “If you’re selling something to the public I don’t think you should be able to say when they can use it.”
It could be customary for some to have fireworks at special occasions such as weddings or birthdays. As a result of the city of Eugene cracking down on something illegal, much of the legal firework use has to stop also. If your wish is to blast “Firework” by Katy Perry and light fireworks on your birthday, then you should be able to regardless of when your birthday is.
Senior spanish major Josh Hector believes this law imposes on his personal freedoms.
“I lit fireworks off at my house last year and there were no issues. Sometimes I like to have fun and light fireworks off at parties and there have not been any issues,” Hector said.
Why would lighting fireworks in March have any better chance of starting a fire than lighting them in July? June and July start the fire season, so if this law is to prevent fires, then firework usage should be prohibited in Eugene altogether.
Eugene City Council has stopped focusing on real problems and has turned to taking away personal freedoms. I never expected that I could get in trouble with the law by lighting a legally purchased firework in a safe environment.