“Happy” Fourth of July?

Why this is my least favorite holiday.

When I moved to New Mexico from Berkeley/California, I first lived in Abiquiu, a small village about 1 hour north of Santa Fe. It’s actually quite famous because the painter Georgia O’Keeffe settled here permanently after the death of her husband Alfred Stieglitz in 1946. Before that, she’d divide her time between New Mexico and New York — spending a few summer months here, and then returning to the East Coast. 

What drew Georgia to the landscape around Abiquiu — the Piñon- and Juniper-studded mesas; the glorious rock formations that change color with the light of the day, displaying every shade of pink, orange, copper, reddish browns and creamy beiges, offset by the dusty greyish green of the sage brush; the sky with its intense deep blue during the day and its brilliant, profuse display of sparkling stars at night; the majestic cottonwood trees that line the Rio Chama all along the valley, each one with its own distinct personality — has attracted many artists since she first came here. The beauty that nature unfolds with such abundance draws and keeps those who have a strong visual sense, who love colors, shapes, textures.

The house that I rented was right by the river. My friends in Berkeley had been worried about me moving to what they thought was a desert; they pictured me living in an arid, barren landscape where nothing much would grow. Yet here I was, a river right by my doorstep which kept the surroundings lush and green. And not only that, almost every evening I could witness the most astonishing, spectacular sunsets.

This gorgeous nightly spectacle became my preferred “fireworks”. Which brings me to my point: I detest the loud, noisy kind usually connected with Fourth of July celebrations. Besides that, I dislike the smell wafting across the fence from near-by neighbors barbecuing parts of various animals. And the “annual celebration of nationhood”, Britannica’s definition of Independence Day, “was initially modeled on that of the king’s birthday”¹. Doesn’t sound all that endearing to me.

But the worst part of course is the way in which the loud fireworks  affect so many animals. Every year we hear about countless cats and dogs who manage to escape their home, terrified, and either get hurt or killed by traffic or get lost or experience serious stress-related health problems. And it’s not only pets who suffer but birds, horses, wild animals, and even those held in zoos will experience disorientation and panic. 

I’m certain that everybody who subscribes to this newsletter feels exactly as I do. Instead of preaching to the choir, I want to raise some questions. First of all: can’t they just be banned? According to the National Fire Protection Association, each year fireworks start over 19,000 fires and send over 9,000 people to the Emergency Room. And because many states experience severe drought, there are actually some restrictions in place. Massachusetts banned all consumer fireworks; however, people can easily buy whatever they want in neighboring states. Fireworks are a multi-million business, and the industry won’t easily let go of their profits. But there are alternatives such as laser light shows which Salt Lake City will use this year. 

Maybe there will be other alternatives that can replace traditional fireworks and provide enough jobs.

The million-dollar question, is of course, how to coax people to care less for their own entertainment and gratification and more for the wellbeing of those around them. In this particular case it would mean to convince people of the distress and pain that the noise causes so many animals (and those who suffer from PTSD, for example). To make them care enough about the environment that they’d rather do without the air pollution that’s the result of fireworks. To have them take the health hazards seriously which result from airborne particles of heavy metals such as copper, barium, and strontium that one breathes in. Maybe such an education has to start in elementary school. It seems to me that it’s of utmost importance that we humans open up, become concerned with the beings and things around us, take our personal likes and pleasures less seriously. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

And DO have a Happy Fourth of July!

1. Britannica: Independence Day