Concerning your July 11 column (“Fireworks have run their course; ban them in Blount County”). You understand the issue. The county is full of neighborhoods as more farmland is lost every month to greedy developers.
This closeness facilitates a dangerous situation for folks from these amateur shooters. Just today (July 14), I found an exploded small rocket by my car, with a damaged 8-inch plastic rudder supporting what was left of a 1-inch diameter cardboard rocket. For the next few weeks I will have to sweat about hitting some innocent child playing with exploded shrapnel flinging from my mower as I cut the grass.
Allowing untrained folks to randomly propel small rockets without any navigation device before and after July 4 as late into the night as they desire, into any direction they want, is about as irresponsible as the Tennessee governor’s new law allowing anyone of age to carry a sidearm without any training or demonstrating any working knowledge of gun safety, how to use it, and when to shoot or not shoot.
Please repeal this dangerous fireworks law. I believe the county, as well as Maryville and Alcoa, still can rake in plenty of tax money without depending on imported, cheap gunpowder gadgets.
