Territory Day: Let the debate begin!

I've scheduled this post for 9am tomorrow morning.  Exactly when I won't be home to post this - I'll actually be sitting in a pathology office having blood taken and doing a glucose tolerance test. Ah, the joys of pregnancy...
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I totally fogot that today was Territory Day. July 1st - the day where we allow people to purchase and indicriminantly set off fireworks in the privacy of their own home/yard/street/suburb/city/state.

Except, it's not private. Even if you kept them indoors and set them off in your own living room, I would be alerted to this fact by a section of your roof landing in our pool. Flames and smoke are also tell-tale signs of an indoor firework display gone wrong.

I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy fireworks - what I am saying is I'm not sure if having fireworks available for the general public is acceptable anymore.

Sure, people could read this and think that I'm just one of those people who's on the bandwagon of 'ban anything that could possibly harm our children or another person', but I'm not. What I am about, is not allowing irresponsible people to have access to this kind of thing. And yes, I feel the same way about hoons in their stupid cars, and anyone who seems to be unable to make a mature decision about a questionable activity.

But what makes me really ticked is when adults make dangerous and irresponsible choices that impact other people, not just themselves.

I don't think it's okay for adults to allow their small children to be a part of the lighting of fireworks. Last month I was part of a Burns Management course for GPs, and the images and treatment that were the result of a 3 year old being allowed to hold 15 lit sparklers all at once was horrifying. Can you image molten magnesium at 1000 celcius dripping down onto the hands of your child? Can you imagine having to have your childs hands debrided of all the dead flesh and magnesium stuck in the skin - repeatedly if it's not all removed the first time?

So when I see people allowing their children to do things like that, and not just with sparklers, it makes me want to smack them.

Every year there is a big debate in the NT about fireworks and if they should still be legal. Due to people being irresponsible and setting fireworks off day and night throughout the year, sale of fireworks was restricted to 9am to 9pm on Territory Day only. But that doesn't stop the idiot's setting them off whenever they feel like it, buying up big on this one day and having a stash for the next 12 months.

It's 3pm in the afternoon and I''m sitting at my desk - I can hear the faint whistle of fireworks being let off somewhere. What's the point in broad daylight? It's just plain stupidity and immaturity.

Cracker night is great, it's part of Territory life and something unique to our spot on the map. It's fun to go down to Mindil Beach and watch the professional fireworks display. The Toddler wears earmuffs and cuddles the Guru tight in anticipation of the big 'boom' but also the pretty spans of light that she loves to see.

I suppose the best we can hope for is that the sensible people keep making the right choices and keep the fun of the night alive. I know we plan to have a simple evening of observation and family time. Our cats will be staying inside, so they're not frightened and have somewhere safe to hide if they want to.

What's not fun is the endless stream of flyers and advertisements for missing pets after they've run away in fear. The injuries, the fires, the plain acts of stupidity, including people driving around and throwing lit fireworks at people.

Fireworks are much the same as alcohol and drugs. We can regulate and ban until the cows come home, but the idiots are always going to find a way around the rules and get what they want.

If only we could regulate stupidity.

So I want to know - do you think 'cracker night' is a good or a bad thing? Even if you don't live in the NT, I'm interested to hear your thoughts.