Re: “Let’s rethink Halloween fireworks,” letter, Nov. 2.
The letter-writer discussed the trauma that Halloween fireworks were causing for shelter animals. It is worth noting that fireworks are already illegal in Victoria without a permit, although I’m not sure about other municipalities.
It seems to me that we increasingly live in a society in which people believe that being offended is a mortal wound, and that animals or children are unable to withstand being temporarily frightened. We also see many instances of people exploiting “defence of the defenceless” to end activities they don’t personally like.
I don’t believe giving in to these impulses is very healthy, as it dismisses the intrinsic resilience that animals and people generally have in abundance.
Living in a dense city, it does make sense to restrict things that might be bothersome or dangerous. Fireworks obviously fit this definition (noisy, potential fire hazard, etc.). But let’s try to keep some perspective and realize that simply being frightened or bothered is not the mortal wound many seem to think it is these days.
Walter Ash
Victoria
