An Open Letter to the People Shooting Off Fireworks Every Night

It seems like it starts earlier every year in Utica and in Rome. People shooting off fireworks at all hours of the night - scaring pets, and disturbing their neighbors. Can you just take it down a notch?

Dear Whoever You Are:

I get it. We've all been cooped up for way too long with this whole virus, and the fireworks are easy to pick up at places like Walmart. The temptation is great.

If you live in the middle of the country, or you're in a big old park somewhere - party on.

But early June, in the middle of a city, late at night? Can we not?

You're waking babies, keeping people from sleeping, and scaring the crap out of pets. We won't even get into how disturbing the constant explosions are to people with PTSD. And let's face it, you can find sparkly fireworks that don't require a huge boom to be fun.

You're here for the boom. I don't get the excitement of essentially burning your money so you can listen to tiny sticks of dynamite explode - but I do know that most people don't feel like listening to that all summer long, any more than you'd want to hear opera blasting through your neighborhood in the wee hours of the morning. You do you - but could you do it somewhere less populated?

Both Rome and Utica have big parks and fields. If you really feel like you need to get your jollies lighting a fuse and watching it go BOOM, go do it there. Setting of fireworks in your backyard, within a few feet of your neighbors homes just isn't okay - plus your city has a noise ordinance.

Now more than ever, we need to be considerate of others and show a little bit of kindness. It starts with letting people sleep.

Thanks