Citizens arise!

Unite to help defeat the nefarious scheme to prohibit our patriotic observance of the birth of our nation on July 4.

There exists in our community a well-meaning, but misguided, group: Our own fire chiefs, who have enlisted the help of our own County Council members to “save us from ourselves” by disallowing our American tradition of the discharge of “safe and sane” fireworks on July 4, beginning in 2009.

This group and their supporters believe there is grave potential of harm if fireworks are exhibited by our youth even though they may, and should, have proper parental supervision and even though there has been virtually no significant occurrences of serious injury or property loss in San Juan County in at least 20 years.

Have we not, as citizens, lost enough of our personal rights and freedoms under the ill-titled Patriot Act? Do we need yet another instance of Big Brother proscribing the observance of the July 4 holiday and thus removing a great family patriotic tradition from our county?

I would suggest the group proposing the fireworks ban to “Save our youth from harm” instead devote their time and energy to more serious and real dangers tempting our young people such as underage alcohol consumption, underage smoking, marijuana use, methamphetamine use and misuse of prescription drugs.

Citizens, please let your voices be heard loud and clear! Call or write the County Council, 378-2898, 350 Court St., Friday Harbor, and tell them you and your family want to continue to celebrate July 4 the American way with traditional fireworks.

George D. Steed, San Juan Island