I expect all those cities also had lovely displays like the one put on at Swiftel. Hopefully, the audiences were full of people gathering to enjoy a celebration with their neighbors rather than fretting about their inability to legally blow things up in their own yard.

Some of them probably even went to enjoy their private fireworks displays afterwards somewhere outside city limits, as David suggests.

Brookings bans kegs purchased anywhere other than the city-owned liquor store. They require registration of kegs so that police will know the location where the keg will be consumed – a fine for kegs not at the proper address. Only one keg at a time is allowed at any location, and the empty must be returned before another can be purchased – guaranteeing 30 minutes downtime between kegs.

Brookings also fines people for having furniture in the yard – so college kids can’t be college kids.

Brookings will allow fireworks as soon as the city buys a fireworks stand and bans fireworks bought anywhere else. They’re probably reading this comment and already planning a municipal fireworks stand for next year.

If I’d have known this ordinance was in effect, I’d have rounded up a few dozen friends and we’d have bought a few thousand dollars worth of fireworks and come to Brookings and lit up the skies. How about a little Brookings Tea/Fireworks Party!?!? Next year….

I know, I know, it’s your blog. Nyeah. Etc.

There have been efforts to repeal it, but I don’t know that they met with success.

It might be a practical matter, too, don’t you think. How many fires is the Brookings FD designed to put out at one time?

There are some real slumlords in Brookings that don’t keep up on their properties – they are just tinderboxes. In a matter of 18 months, I had two groups of friends that had their houses burn to the ground. One had to be choppered to Sioux Falls to treat the severe burns on his body.

I think I have seen you agree with public bans in common dangers before – but I don’t want to trigger Newland spam.

But, I think your approach is the right one – find out exactly why they put the restriction in place.

While you’re at it, find out why they allow police officers to pull people over for having things dangle from their rearview mirror. I always thought it was their perpetual invitation to pull over any college student for whatever reason they wanted (I was pulled over more than once for having my campus parking pass hanging from the rearview mirror). There’s another good nanny state cause to take up.

Darn me. I thought we lived in the land of the free.

Trust it – you don’t want the college kids – even the ones that are in town for the summer – being given the “freedom” to shoot off fireworks.

I’d wager something that it’s the potential abuse from the college kids that makes it difficult to shoot off the boomers.

Have a great and safe 4th everyone and remember why, no matter what your political stripe, we all care about the good old USA and our own South Dakota.