Today we were shopping for groceries when Paul noticed this display of fireworks in the middle of the store. Yes, I said FIREWORKS. At first when I was looking at them, I had my California sensibilities in mind. I thought they were mostly those harmless party popper and those little loud snap-it/pop-it white things.
Upon further inspection, I realized these are the fireworks my family uses in the street on the 4th of July for their own mini show. I won’t even go into the inappropriate names for fireworks. I mean just look at the one on the left…really? Really?
In fact, there are a couple of items that I believe are illegal in California, which is interesting if you look at the name. I think they are pretty much bottle rockets.
Here’s where I get confused. You have a large amount of gun powder for sale in a grocery store, but I can’t pick up a bottle of Chardonnay in the same store? Please explain to this newly minted Midwesterner why this situation exists. I just can’t wrap my head around it.
Granted in California the use of fireworks is determined on a county by county basis. Sacramento County allows it while Solano County does not. Why one forbids it while another does not is beyond me. It would seem to me idiots in Sacramento County are just as capable of setting things on fire as those in Solano.
But, another question comes to my mind…why are these out now? I don’t remember seeing them last week. Do you folks use fireworks on Memorial Day? Should I expect to see fireworks in the grocery stores all summer long?
It’s funny to think of the differences between the states. We are all in the same country, but there are subtle differences that make each state feel like it’s own little country sometimes.
Paul tells me that in South Dakota (our neighbor to the west) fireworks are sold year round. Wondering what their alcohol laws are like, I search the internet for it…apparently, they have little restrictions. There is no real correlation between alcohol laws and firework laws at least not from a logical standpoint. I just think it’s an interesting juxtaposition. Both items can wreak havoc if improperly used, but that’s probably where their similarities end.
Still…it just seems more socially acceptable to have alcohol in a grocery store than fireworks, but maybe that’s just the Californian in me.