I live in Chickencatcher Holler in the most red county in Georgia. The fireworks tonight

[japple]

are like nothing I've ever heard before. I've only lived here for about 15 years. Probably tRumpers getting their explosive thang going. Will have to check with my nurse friends who work at the local hospital to see how many of my neighbors get brought in courtesy of the county tonight. Seriously, it sound like a thunderstorm or a war zone.

[greymattermom]

1. Where ever you are

Folks in Georgia 6 are there for you.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Funny opposite view...

my brother lives on/near the local Muckleshoot Res, and they have a big open field where they set up fireworks booths every year and another huge adjoining area for folks to get down with their dangerous toys. Generally, it leads to hella traffic probs and hours and hours of noise.

This was the quietest year in quite some time. Driving by, there were seldom that many cars and customers all month. My bro reports that fireworks were much quieter than usual.

This blue county is apparently not celebrating this year.

[Lars39]

3. Same here.

I'm not talking little piddly snaps and pops....these are the big booming kind.

[Hoyt]

4. Started reallowing fireworks sales in GA a few years ago. White wingers love their explosives, guns

and war machines. I'm hearing a lot more individual fireworks this year, and we have several big shows.

Have to admit when I was 10 or so, I liked fireworks too until I stuck a cheery bomb in a jar and didn't run fast enough. That was enough of that junk for me.

[geomon666]

5. Sounded like a fucking war zone driving home tonight.

It's one thing to have a bang followed by sparkles. These were just loud, window rattling bangs.

[Igel]

6. Same here.

Except that it's a very Democratic area.

1. Economy's okay, so each family can afford a few hundred dollars for small bombs and transition-metal doped explosives.

2. It's working class, and they all think that the bigger the sound and more obnoxious you are the more of a man you are. A lot of the "fireworks" are basically stun grenades: loud boom, bright flash of light, not much more.

Five years ago the boys were pulling legs off of lizards while their parents looked on with approval.

[gratuitous]

7. Soooo looking forward to tomorrow's ride into work

All the junk left in the streets to dodge, and hoping I don't get a flat. It would apparently result in serious bodily injury or death for folks to clean up after themselves.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. So far, milder than last year, but

New neighbors, had a bout of horrifically loud fireworks that sounded like close cannon fire. Sound carries a lot here.

I am envying a friend in Mesquite Texas, who reports the town outlawed fireworks and gunfire in the city limits.

[Not Ruth]

9. After midnight where I am

No gunfire, but still plenty of explosions. Seems more intense than in prior years.

[Control-Z]

10. I'm experiencing what you might call

culture shock tonight. I moved 2 months ago, about 20 minutes from a sleepy little city I had live in for 25 years. Only one big professional fireworks show over the lake. Otherwise, Illegal. Few law breakers. No police department. Just 5 county sheriff's cars at any given time. (Someone broke into my daughter's car a few years ago. All five cars showed up to investigate the "crime". Lol.)

So now I'm about 4 minutes from the beach. It's 20 degrees cooler. (That, I love.) But it's like another world. Fireworks stands on every corner. All legal. And fireworks have been going off for hours. At least 6 professional shows that I could see from where I live. And every other neighbor for as far as the eye can see with their own show going on - including directly over the top of my building.

I've never heard anything so loud. It's like I imagine a war zone would sound.

I was so worried about my cats. One indoor. One out. I keep checking on them. They've both been asleep in their favorite comfy spots all night. Go figure.

[madokie]

14. Our feline friends

can turn off us humans and our funny ways better than anything or anyone in the world LOL

Talk about grinning and bearing it, they've got it down to a science

[maxrandb]

17. When Americans feel that they've "screwed the pooch"

they often overcompensate.

"Well, yes I voted for the treasonous toddler, but look at how wonderful my fireworks display is"

[JI7]

11. i don't get the entertainment from these things

even the more low key sparkly stuff wore off when i was no longer a little kid.

[enough]

12. Same here in SE PA, on the divide between rural and suburban.

We've lived here for decades, never heard anything like it, coming from all directions, lasting forever. And it went on for three nights running. Definitely a major change from anything before.

[Amishman]

18. Same here, Lancaster county

It's normally pretty active but last night was even more energetic.

I'm not complaining, I sat out on the porch with a big glass of wine and enjoyed the show.

[NightWatcher]

13. Hall Co?

[japple]

20. Gordon Co.

eom

[Solly Mack]

24. That was my first thought too.

[NightWatcher]

26. I briefly lived in Gainesville and boy howdy it's red.

[Solly Mack]

27. Yep. Super red.

[madokie]

15. Well bygawd

I found a place that google doesn't know exist.

I had to look up chickencatcher holler and it wasn't to be

Now that I made a search I'm sure the powers to be at google is fast on the ball looking for chickencatcher holler

[GulfCoast66]

16. Guess I never thought to politicize fireworks

I do not live in a city. I like fireworks and some years shoot off a significant number on Independence Day. They are quite legal in many places. Many of my Democratic family members also like fireworks. Of course we also own guns which make us suspect to some on the left.

It is not a new tradition going back well over 100 years. Hell, individuals used to shoot off cannons.

I hope everyone had a nice Independence Day.

[japple]

31. Many lost dogs today at the animal shelter and traumatized veterans because of the

loud explosions and fireworks flashing coupled with the terrific thunderstorms we had yesterday.

The 4th of July causes a lot of war veterans to have flashbacks. Dogs go missing because they freak out and run and then can't find their way back home.

I work in animal rescue and know that local shelters are filled with lost/displaced dogs in the days following holidays where fireworks are featured. Feral colonies of cats are scared away from their home base due to loud noises and often cannot get back to their source of food and safety. I can't even imagine the trauma caused to bats, birds, deer, raccoons, possums, turtles, frogs, and other species that share this planet with us.

I used to like the 4th of July until I learned how others suffer because some people get off on exploding things from China made of wire, paper and gunpowder.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/military-vets-ptsd-4th-fireworks-can-be-nerve-wracking-n602526

http://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2017/07/animals-hate-fourth-of-july-fireworks.html

[EllieBC]

19. I have in-laws in Long Beach, CA. They said there were lots there.

Lots of legal and illegal fireworks down there always when I lived there too. But I'll shut up and let you keep enjoying your steady diet of rural people suck.

[japple]

21. There are about 50 chicken houses within 5 miles of my house. It is a very, very red county.

Last edited Wed Jul 5, 2017, 04:42 PM - Edit history (1)

My family has lived in this county since the 1850s and I am related to a large number of people in this county. I don't know where you got your idea that I "enjoy a steady diet of rural people suck." I don't like fireworks or gun fire or 2-cycle engines or packs of howling beagles at night. What is wrong with that?

Edit to add: A lot of these chicken houses are large, automated, commercial operations owned by Koch Foods. If you don't know who the Koch Brothers are, google Charles and David Koch. The chickens sold by these growers are often classified as "free-range" because they are not confined to a cage like the egg layers. After the chickens are loaded on trucks for transport and the houses are mucked out, the air is so contaminated with ammonia that it causes breathing difficulties. Lest you think these are quaint little chicken farms run by Ma and Pa Kettle, this is what those free range operations look like.
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[anneboleyn]

22. ? Fireworks are illegal in CA, and Long Beach is a huge city in a blue state -- why are you

comparing rural Georgia to a major city next to LA in CA? Growing up in CA we were permitted sparklers and none of the insane crap allowed in other states.

[EllieBC]

29. Illegal doesn't mean a lot to people when they have plenty of ways to get fireworks.

I'm saying that there are plenty in cities too. The OP seems to think it's just a dumb redneck thing. Nope.

[japple]

33. You are making a lot of assumptions.

[Archae]

23. Anything that leaves the ground, (bottle rockets,) or explodes is illegal here in Sheboygan.

But we had 2 official fireworks, and several unofficial "displays" until nearly midnight, as always.

[snooper2]

25. I lit off a shitload of mortar shells...guess I'll have to vote repuke from now on eh?

[bottomofthehill]

28. Celebrating the way John Adams would have wanted them to

[Demsrule86]

30. When I lived in Georgia the GOP asshats as far as the eye could see used to shoot off their guns

instead of firecrackers...killed people every year...I guess they don't understand the concept of gravity.

[ecstatic]

32. Same here, in a blue county though. Sounded like a war zone

I was just hoping I wouldn't have to evacuate due to a fire.