New Year’s Eve fireworks tragedy
There are many innocent victims in the New Year’s Eve fireworks tragedy on Oahu. People who lived across the street, next door, two and three houses away had windows blown out and shattered. They did nothing, and their children did nothing. Nothing on the news has been mentioned of all the pets who suffered like wounded soldiers with PTSD.
Fireworks should be enjoyed in a controlled environment detonated by professionals, not in neighborhoods where people and pets live like sardines in overcrowded conditions.
People are afraid to rat on their neighbors for fear of retaliation if the neighbor finds out who filed the complaint. They say calls are confidential but the coconut wireless works in mysterious ways.
Also, the cops don’t like to issue tickets or follow through on these complaints because many are part of this pyrotechnics culture and many officers are friends or related to those detonating the fireworks.
With all said, we all know something has to be done, but next year, the year after that, and the following years, nothing will be done.
How much longer can we tolerate the “good ole boys” in our local government?
James “Kimo” Rosen, Kapaa
Need more police intervention next year
Last night was pretty much a normal New Years’ Eve, with people expressing their traditional celebrations with fireworks and all. One thing was different, though. At about 7:15 p.m., somebody’s aerial firework exploded just yards from our home, at the same elevation. I thought it was going to blow out our windows.
Apparently it was fired from somewhere downhill from our location. I guess they didn’t want to shoot it over the coffee fields further down the hill. A bit later, about 10 p.m., another similar aerial exploded a few doors away, also at the same elevation.
I didn’t bother to call the Kauai Police, as they typically will not respond or the response is half-hearted.
How about this Idea: Increase on-duty staff at KPD on New Years’ Eve, and station them in outlying neighborhoods for the sole purpose of enforcement of laws against aerial fireworks. It shouldn’t be too hard to do.
Steve Hansen, Kalaheo
