The long-range weather forecast suggests that Mother Nature may not cooperate during the Fourth of July weekend ahead, with unseasonably cool temperatures and a significant chance of rain expected in our area. Still, we are confident that Americans everywhere will discover ways to mark the occasion appropriately.
Wherever and however the celebration takes place, we urge all our readers to show restraint as we observe our Nation’s birthday.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Fourth was celebrated with considerable rowdiness. Midnight brought the start of official festivities featuring bonfires and similar activities, which emboldened groups of rowdy young people to damage both public and private property throughout the evening.
Year after year, the destruction continued until civic organizations stepped in to promote more civilized Fourth of July observances in their communities. Newspapers called on their audiences to observe a “safe and sane Fourth of July.” Though skeptics questioned whether such efforts could succeed, society eventually rejected this unacceptable behavior on the national holiday.
Progress has certainly been made since those times, yet many people still treat the Fourth of July as a license to consume excessive alcohol, use illegal fireworks, and behave irresponsibly.
Following the holiday, news outlets and papers inevitably report preventable tragedies stemming from drinking and driving, drinking and boating, drinking and swimming, or children handling dangerous fireworks. Each of us bears responsibility for our own safety and that of friends and family members who may be drinking excessively. No one should have to regret the next morning, “If only I had taken their keys….”
We wish our readers a happy and safe Fourth of July.