Fireworks have been illegal in Iowa and other states for quite some time, but that doesn’t stop anyone from going across state border to buy their fireworks and bring them back home.
Just take a trip to Missouri or Wisconsin and you’ll find the fireworks stands right on the border as people make it a half day trip to go stock up.
Law enforcement considers fireworks a minor issue and difficult to monitor and so for the most part they don’t. I’m sure if an accident happened, it would be a different story, but the accidents aren’t any more than any other risky activity like riding a bicycle or driving a car.
So why then do we have such a law on the books?
Think about it, we have Gay marriage, but you can’t legally buy and possess fireworks in the state of Iowa! That’s pretty strange if you ask me.
Let’s look at the economic impact. People are spending money they made in Iowa to buy fireworks in Missouri. Why wouldn’t we want that revenue to be generated in Iowa?
I know numerous people that buy and use fireworks in Iowa. They are all fairly responsible adults who safely shoot them off. Heck, I just need to go out on my deck and I can see fireworks going off all over!
Yes, there will be accidents, and there might even be some deaths that happen from using them, but you can say the same thing about walking down a sidewalk or riding a bike. There are risks to everything.
This is one law we shouldn’t have on our books. It’s damaging to our economy in the state, it infringes upon the rights of the citizens of Iowa and other states that have laws such as this, and it ultimately doesn’t stop accidents from happening. People do it anyway and for the most part, law enforcement is concerned with more important laws.
At least that’s what I think!