# Should the Sale of Fireworks be Banned (except to Trained Professionals) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 6, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364 "2015-07-06T01:13:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/41 "2015-07-07T22:51:58Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > But yeah, if you say something is a public threat, but you aren’t willing to jail people over it, then it’s not much of a public threat, and thus not worth making illegal. 😕 I’m a little perplexed by your statement here. Not all public threat violations are jailable offenses in many jurisdictions. Speeding, 1st offense drunk driving, unauthorized concealed weapons, etc. are usually only punished with a monetary fine. But that fine can be severe. Depending on ones situation it could be less severe to spend time locked up than to pay thousands in a fine. ---
**Author:** ![Smartass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Smartass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smartass)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/42 "2015-07-07T23:19:18Z")
Any chance we can keep the fireworks but make _morons_ illegal? -VM ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/43 "2015-07-07T23:27:13Z")
I think the solution is definitely to spend more time talking about how stupid other people are. ---
**Author:** ![Smartass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Smartass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smartass)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/44 "2015-07-08T00:23:38Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I think the solution is definitely to spend more time talking about how stupid other people are. The solution to which problem? -VM ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/45 "2015-07-08T00:30:44Z")
All of them for which the discussion includes words like “moron.” ---
**Author:** ![Smartass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Smartass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smartass)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/46 "2015-07-08T00:34:03Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > All of them for which the discussion includes words like “moron.” Okay, I’ll play along: I think morons are really stupid. Like 9 out of 10 stupid. -VM ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/47 "2015-07-08T00:41:57Z")
Another problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![Smartass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Smartass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smartass)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/48 "2015-07-08T01:29:03Z")
Ignorance fought? -VM ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/49 "2015-07-08T02:39:34Z")
> [@Smartass](#): > > Any chance we can keep the fireworks but make _morons_ illegal? > > -VM Our prisons are already over capacity as it is. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/50 "2015-07-08T20:41:25Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > So you don’t think fines are a penalty at all? Jail for all people who exceed safe speed limits, etc? Fines are a penalty, but they aren’t a deterrent. Traffic enforcement based on fines has always been 99% about revenue, not public safety. Most people speed, and if it was judged a serious problem, serious action would be taken to stop it. Sure, you can fine people for having illegal fireworks, but it wouldn’t actually reduce the use of illegal fireworks much, if at all. Since it’s just twice a year, most people would just take the chance and if they get busted, they pay the fine. Or, it could be like traffic court where almost everyone knows they are guilty but challenge the ticket anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/51 "2015-07-08T21:14:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Should the Sale of Fireworks be Banned (except to Trained Professionals) HELLA YES! Next question. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/52 "2015-07-08T21:27:21Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > 😕 > > I’m a little perplexed by your statement here. Not all public threat violations are jailable offenses in many jurisdictions. Speeding, 1st offense drunk driving, unauthorized concealed weapons, etc. are usually only punished with a monetary fine. But that fine can be severe. Depending on ones situation it could be less severe to spend time locked up than to pay thousands in a fine. Fines are in the category of, “If you curse, put a dollar in the jar”. There are types of fines that are actually meant to deter or change behavior, such as certain regulatory violations where you or your company are fined daily until the violation is fixed. But fines for speeding or possession of illegal substances tend to fall more in the category of “Haha, we caught you, you gotta put $100 in the community jar and we’ll use it to buy a volleyball net at the park!” But a simple fine for fireworks possession wouldn’t reduce fireworks usage much at all, and I assume the goal here is to actually accomplish something. If the OP suggests actually keeping fireworks out of the hands of all but trained professionals, that will take sterner measures than mere fines. ---
**Author:** ![Smartass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Smartass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smartass)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/53 "2015-07-08T22:06:31Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Our prisons are already over capacity as it is. If your hypothesis is correct, then I suggest we can solve the problem with _more_ fireworks. -VM ---
**Author:** ![Smartass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Smartass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smartass)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/54 "2015-07-08T22:08:02Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Should the sale of fireworks be banned (except to trained professionals)? What about untrained professionals? -VM ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/55 "2015-07-09T16:17:11Z")
Why all the talk of morons? There are two NFL players who both lost fingers on the July 4th weekend: > [@](#): > > Two NFL players involved in fireworks accidents over the Independence Day weekend – New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and Tampa Bay cornerback C.J. Wilson - have apparently lost their fingers. > **[Reports: 2 NFL players lose fingers in fireworks accidents](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-jason-pierre-paul-c-j-wilson-lose-fingers-in-july-4-fireworks-accidents/)** > > ESPN reports Giants star Jason Pierre-Paul had index finger amputated and dad says Buccaneers cornerback C.J. Wilson lost 2 fingers ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/56 "2015-07-09T16:35:35Z")
What surprises me is the amount of recent news stories in the U.S. about fatalities and serious injuries in connection with fireworks. Does this happen every 4th of July? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/57 "2015-07-09T17:38:30Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > What surprises me is the amount of recent news stories in the U.S. about fatalities and serious injuries in connection with fireworks. Does this happen every 4th of July? Yes, they are fairly common: > [@](#): > > In 2013, there were eight deaths and an estimated 11,400 consumers who sustained injuries related to fireworks. This is an increase from 8,700 injuries in 2012. [http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News-Releases/2014/CPSC-Reports-Increase-in-Fireworks-Related-Deaths-and-Injuries-in-20131/](http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News-Releases/2014/CPSC-Reports-Increase-in-Fireworks-Related-Deaths-and-Injuries-in-20131/) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/58 "2015-07-09T17:48:45Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > Total Darwin award winner. What an awkward funeral, it’s a tragic loss for everyone who loved him but at the same time how could you not be thinking he was also a total dumbass who had it coming. “He died doing what he loved, being a moron.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364/59 "2015-07-19T16:29:27Z")
It’s not funny until someone loses an eye. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-sale-of-fireworks-be-banned-except-to-trained-professionals/724364.md?page=2)