The Fourth of July is over, but keep the subject current. I am asking the City of Kent to ban the personal use of fireworks. Many have written as to why this needs to be done.
On July 3, 2013, KOMO News quoted Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke saying city leaders thought long and hard about banning fireworks. “The safety factor is key,” Cooke said, “but it’s part of this whole American culture of celebration.” Oh, please. Safety is important, but we can’t risk adults pouting if they can’t explode something?
Teach your children it’s not OK to buy and set off illegal fireworks because we’re celebrating. Fly the flag, take them to a nursing home and talk with veterans, wear red, white and blue, donate to the USO, sing “This Land is Your Land,” use red, white and blue everything for your barbecue, make strawberry shortcake and then go to one of the public firework shows and clap and ooh and ahh with everyone else.
The council’s and the mayor’s continued refusal to address this issue is a disgrace. I encourage all of Kent’s residents to remember this at election time. I know I will.
I urge all of you to write to the council at councilmembers@kentwa.gov, and to Mayor Cooke at mayor@kentwa.gov. Take a minute to send a letter every month. They need to know that just because we’re done with the Fourth of July for this year, we’re not done with the subject, or with them.
– Carrie Stark
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