many states have banned personal use of fireworks. Sure kids (and idiot adults) got hurt; some badly, but if "hurt" was the test for an activity there would be no football, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, gynmastics, and a bunch of other activities.

I remember my South Dakota childhood and how the 4th was as exciting as Christmas (almost). How we kids had our folks (over their grumpy foot dragging protests) order big fireworks that were shipped by train; how we would bike down the 3 miles to get the boxes; how we would spend the day, shooting crackers at toy cardboard houses, and do battles with 1 inchers & when no adult was looking, "atomic bombs." Then at night we'd gather at the druggest's farm and share our big ones and watch as aerial bombs, rockets, and a variety of things exploded in the night sky; the old folks would sit around oohing with us; the little ones had sparklers; it all ended with homemade icecream. Thanks, BIG BROTHERS in the State legislatures for ruining the 4th.