Sparklers at Halloween
by planetparker
Some people may be surprised at what they will no doubt term my outburst against sparklers, “bangers” and fireworks in my most recent “Echos of the Past” piece in the Cavan Echo. As I said these are dangerous; what’s more they cause a lot of distress to animals. There is one group of animals upon whom humans really depend: guide-dogs for the blind. They are highly trained to be able to navigate their handlers, and to add a pair of eyes which the blind person does not possess, but yet they become distressed and disoriented when confronted with the detonation of one of these bangers. This then affects the blind person, who may often find themselves completely lost.
This anti-social aspect of Halloween was recently exprressed on RTE radio by guide-dog user Bethann Collins. She asked why were such items allowed to proliferate, especially when they are technically illegal in the Irish Republic. I feel I can answer her – it is because of the ambivalence of the authorities who never act unless they are forced to by events. If, and I hope it never happens) somebody is fatally injured, then there will be an outcry and the police will put out their collective eggbags to clamp down on the sale and posseession of fireworks, but they’ll get tired of it and the whole thing will peter out into the sands of habitual laziness.
