Our Freedom Celebration Can Be Messy

This week we celebrate another birthday of our country. There will be parades, picnics, parties, speeches, and community sponsored fireworks displays.

Also thousands will travel to rural area roads and park at some field entrance. The kids and cases of fireworks will be unloaded, and maybe a six pack.  Safety talks may or may not be given, or heeded.

Let the celebration begin!!!! From Roman candles to “snakes, .”  explosions, fire, noise, and the smell of gun powder.

There will be plenty of ooohs and aaahs, and probably some kid like squealing as well.

When the last rocket has been ignited, and the last sip of whatever you are drinking is gone, back into the car with the family for the drive home.

Each year this cycle is repeated and each year on the radio, I get calls from country folks complaining about the mess city folks leave behind. Empty boxes, wrapping materials, the remnants of the explosions, and yes, even an empty beer can or two……

Besides the litter, I have talked to farmers about grass fires and scared livestock. Seems like city folks like to party but don’t care how their “Freedom” celebration affects others.

The weekend of July 6^th, our rural friends should to come into town. Drive the tractor, and attach their dirtiest piece of equipment.(The manure spreader?) Park on a residential city street and clean it up. Use plenty of paper towels, scrape the mud and put it on the grass, sidewalk, and leave plenty in the street. If some manure gets dumped on a driveway entrance or sidewalk, no problem.  Do what we do………Leave your mess behind.