The 4th Of July has been my favorite holiday since I can remember. Growing up in a small town near Sac. Little league, fireworks, and vacant lots were the most important things in my life. Exploring the town with my best friend all summer long. At a mere 8 or 9 years old we were free to go and do as we pleased as long as we were home before dark and called to check in periodically.

Every summer was amazing and the few memories I retain are wonderful. The joy and excitement around the 4th was a major part of summer and the most unifying activity of the town. On this night every residential street was shut down with all families in a row lighting off fireworks, sharing beers and snacks, and enjoying each other and the occasion.

When we moved to Cloverdale I was devastated. The loss of my best friend was crushing. I never really fit in with anyone during this small period of my life. If it weren’t for the citrus fair and the 4th Of July celebrations I probably wouldn’t have made any friends. Kids act very different in school than they do when ”in the world.” Being the new kid didn’t matter when we were taping up Picalo Petes to make improvised firecrackers.

Moving to Santa Rosa was tough. My second attempt at a new start in just a few years. By this age I was very aware that most of the kids I was in school with knew each other from grade school. Being the new kid sucks and the older you get the more drastic the hazing might be. Thank God for the couple kids who took me in and then introduced me to their friend groups. I found a tight set of friends and we remained thick as thieves, so to speak, well into adulthood.

The 4th was still celebrated strong in SR and the week leading up to it was one of pure machismo and stupidity regards to explosives. I remember having a “black cat” go off in my hand and thanks to the instant blindness and numbing of my fingers, I was given a minute or so of terror and respected the black cat from then on.

At this time the city was like a civil war battle field. Constant explosions, mortars, and bottle rockets. One particular year a friend of mine had a block party on their court. I felt like I was in the revolution. Explosions everywhere. The air thick with smoke and the smell of sulfur. Chaos everywhere and people screaming and laughing together. The most amazing time you can ask for. 

Many years ago a few retarded kids lit some smoke bombs in a field behind a very nice neighborhood. The result? At least one wealthy persons home was burnt down. This happened on a day prior to the 4th. It was the only tragedy of its kind that I’m aware of. These kids were using “safe and sane” wimpy fireworks and made a ridiculous decision. The appropriate thing would be to hold the parents financially liable to the stupidity of their children. Instead, they banned all fireworks.

Just to rub it in and totally rob the city of any traditional means of celebrating their independence, the city makes the fair grounds fireworks an optional event depending on the cities mood. This has just forced people to buy good fireworks from Nevada, or the safe and sane type from the city directly south of us. It has not stopped us from lighting fireworks.

What it has been successful in, is ruining the community aspect of the holiday. It has made celebrating it, an illegal venture that needs to be held to small trusting groups. The threat of Karens calling the police is very real and has destroyed the positive aspects of the holiday completely. It’s a day of anonymous tips, snitching on neighbors, and hating on the country instead of loving her.

This all took root when fireworks were taken away. Apparently when you remove the mainstay of any celebration, it dampens the celebration. Think Christmas without lights or a tree. Halloween without trick or treating. Thanksgiving without turkey. You get my point. Some traditions are maintained by keeping consistent our celebrations.

The ban on fireworks was because of one house burnt down by two children that were acting extremely foolish. Never heard of houses going up on the years where the sky looked like daytime there was so many mortars in the air. We lost our fireworks due to the behavior of some jerkoff’s kids.

Recently the SRPD as well the sheriffs office have put out warnings for us to heed their commands and have no fun during the 4th. I find this to be especially galling considering the riots, looting, and Juneteenth that we have all endured. Not to mention the anti-social way we have been made to live for the last 2 years.

They should have said, hey we have all been through a lot, and we wish everyone a safe and happy 4th!. That would have been applauded. Instead we get threats that if we dare to act like adults we will be caged like animals. The fact that we have endured lockdowns and masks for years seems to matter not. We need to be with each other. Neighbors need to have their little garbage piles of fireworks so they can talk to each other. We deserve it.

This is not Juneteenth. You don’t dictate to us how we celebrate OUR Independence Day.  I recommend absolute disobedience. The city usually disregards the stupid rules anyway and fireworks are heard and seen all over, for the entire week of the 4th. These are cucked celebrations in which there’s always a chance the fuzz will come and arrest someone. Not exactly the community rich experience of my youth. Then again, we aren’t the country of my youth.

With Juneteenth now a thing, are fireworks going to be allowed for them? My guess is, yes. They will demand it and they will get it. They won’t except mealy mouthed excuses  blaming them for the actions of 2 children. Any attempt to curtail their celebration will be racist. Mike drop.

For a comparison. The Cinco De Mayo celebrations in my city are outrageous. Every year we get shootings, stabbings, and robberies. They take over a section of their part of town and get to act utterly lawless. The police do nothing. The city encourages it. This is the situation, Mexican’s are free to do as they please. White people celebrating the founding of their country, get to stfu.

There was never an increase in crime one the 4th. White people don’t celebrate by shooting, stabbing, or robbing their fellows. For the traditional American this has always been about community. Block parties, cookouts, and city wide fireworks displays with the Star Spangled Banner playing everywhere.

I can’t say to what degree your city has robbed you of your heritage. As for mine, they have gone too far. This is a warning to them all. We will not tolerate your wokeness any longer. If the 4th can’t be properly celebrated then neither can May 5th or Juneteenth. If you think I’m just one kook who sees this through hate filled eyes, I assure you I am not.

Stealing the one common holiday all Americans should celebrate together, while promoting divisive holidays like May 5th and Juneteenth is asking for trouble. Shooting guns into the air is just fine for drunken Mexicans on the 5th. Safe sparklers for families to enjoy are too dangerous on the 4th. These double standards are too glaring and too insulting to miss.

You filthy swine are on notice. Wokeness is going to be weeded out and you pricks will regret treating us with such disregard. Take that shit to the bank, jack.