It has been a month now and I have searched each issue of The Journal for the expected reports of fireworks-caused forest fires, homes and barns burned down, human deaths or injuries from fireworks, even reports of animal injury.

And what horror stories have I found? None! Nothing, nada, zero. Another safe and sane Fourth of July!

How can that be, when the fire chief and the County Council have assured us that fireworks-caused fires and personal injuries were certain to happen unless a total fireworks ban was imposed in San Juan County?

Could it be that the good citizens of San Juan County do not need the fire districts and the council to protect us from ourselves? Could it be that the warnings of disaster were, in light of the “no happenings” record of past years, an unjustified warning? Could it be that the citizens are capable of safely using and enjoying the discharge of legal fireworks and, if that is not possible, choosing to tax themselves to enlist a professional group of firefighters to provide suitable protection? Could it be that the Fireworks Prohibition Ordinance, now “on hold” pending a vote of the people in November, was entirely unnecessary?

It would appear to this observer that the “manufactured scare” was entirely unnecessary and that the County Council should do the citizens of San Juan County a favor by repealing the Fireworks Prohibition Ordinance, thus saving the county elections people the costs of counting what will surely be an overwhelming vote to overturn the ill-considered fireworks ban.

George Steed
San Juan Island