I get saddened this time of year thinking about American-made fireworks, once the mainstay of our Independence Day celebrations. Since 1954, domestic production has nearly been eliminated, in the name of "safety", by new federal entities. The producers simply cannot compete with their overseas counterparts because of regulations imposed by various Departments, Commissions, Administrations, Offices, and Agencies. Never mind the fact that misuse of fireworks ranks right up there with stepladders, roller skates, and bicycles as one of the many causes of serious injuries. Reminds me of how so many mail-order firearms and other 'destructive devices" were prohibited in 1934 under the guise of "crime control" even though these items were seldom used by criminals.
Oh well, celebrants in some jurisdictions can still shoot imported fireworks, often made by children and semi-slave labor, as long as they make sufficiently muted sounds at or near ground level. The 4th just isn't as much fun as it used to be without some great old noisemakers produced by Backe's, Kent, Tipp's, Triumph, Unexcelled, United, and Victory to name a few of the biggest. They employed a lot of people.
