I last attended Brainerd's fireworks a few years back. Campers and cars were permitted parking along the road past the high rise, allowing people getting as close to the fireworks as possible. Besides being showered with chemicals that give fireworks their color - strontium, phosphorous, copper, cobalt, sulfur, and lots of others - it allows getting close to the noise. They'd sometimes park there a day or two ahead of time. Maybe that's banned now.
I walked down that road, and "BOOM, POW," it was really loud; very war-like. Some babies and very young children were screaming hysterically. I realized they're not just upset, they're in actual pain. Babies and young 'uns ears are much more sensitive than adults. In this age of machines, our eardrums eventually, figuratively, get tough and leathery, like farmer's skin. One price we pay, I guess.
I knew a very young boy who would cry hard over any loud sounds, ones that didn't seem very loud to my headphone- and concert-abused ears. But he was old enough to be able to explain how painful those sounds were to him.
Please keep young children far from the source of the noise; they can make that choice themselves when they're older.
I hope those that sponsor the fireworks will be sure to caution parents about children's ears; being careful and caring, sort of like wearing life preservers on the water.
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I don't attend Brainerd's fireworks any more because it's gotten too grandiose and overblown, plus too noisy (which is pointless). Each rocket and flare is just beautiful, but there's too many at once; too hard to really enjoy them. It's like having a meal, each serving so unique and delicious, but having them all piled together on your plate, on top of each other. It spoils it.
A. Martin
Merrifield
