Let’s face it. Americans like to see things blow up. That’s one of the reasons we all flock to Fourth of July fireworks displays.
Where at all possible, rural Texans like to have a hand in blowing things up. That’s one of the reasons many Texans, especially those who live in towns the size Kyle and Buda used to be, really like the Fourth of July.
We can buy our own star shells and mortars and Roman candles and bottle rockets to light up our own patch of sky and show those folks the next ridge over what a real fireworks display looks like.
But, Kyle and Buda aren’t all that small, any more. Hays County certainly isn’t. A hundred houses have sprouted out of what were lonely, out of the way fields a couple of years ago.
Which brings up the other issue. Hays County is so parched you could start a brush fire just by giving a pasture a harsh look.
The vastly increased population and the dry conditions make random, spontaneous displays of amateur rocketry a bit problematic for the folks who respond to out-of-control pasture fires.
Now, patriotism means all sorts of things to all sorts of people but it’s very likely we can all agree it means more than simply flying the flag on the Fourth of July, wearing a red, white and blue shirt and cooking off star shells.
Cleansed of all the jingoistic trappings, patriotism means being a responsible citizen, which means observing the law, even if that means refraining from exercising your “right” to lighting off fireworks.
Remember, neither Kyle nor Buda allows citizens to shoot off fireworks in the city limits. No, not even sparklers. That’s the law.
This year, due to the harsh, dry conditions previously noted, Hays County Commissioners have banned aerial fireworks. That’s the law, as well.
So, be really patriotic this Fourth of July. Instead of risking a brush fire that, this year, might just burn down someone’s brand new home, take advantage of the lavish (but safe) fireworks displays both Buda and Kyle intend to sponsor.
It’s the patriotic thing to do.
This was originally published as an editorial in The Hays Free Press.
