Jun 04 2010
ON KEEPING THE 4TH OF JULY ON THE 4TH
The point here I believe is that if they are city fire works for all to enjoy then the city should be responsible for them. The problem is that they are allowing one man/private organization do the ONLY city PUBLIC FREE firework show! Telling people that they should just go set off their own fireworks at their home on the 4th is quite frankly ridiculous. How many people do you think would have to choose between food for the week and the fireworks? ALOT! Fireworks are really expensive and many live in apartments that you could not set them off at home because the parking lot is private property not owned by the renter. For many many children the only fireworks they get to see are those that Vandersloot pays for!
Those are just some issues with you telling them to do it on their own. Now, Separation of Church & State, well folks I’m sorry but Eastern Idaho isn’t the only place in the good ol’ USA that has a problem with that Constitutional mandate! The City of Idaho Falls and Chamber of Commerce should take the responsibility of getting the money for the fireworks and the rest of the 4th celebration. Their isn’t a problem with Vandersloot donating to the money pool for that. However, letting him be the only one in charge and the only one to foot the bill is certainly against the Democratic way if you ask me.
And yes I do agree that this state as well as Utah rely far to much on the LDS church to make their laws and run the state. The whole reason we celebrate the 4th of July is to celebrate freedom. And in case anyone of any particular religion has forgotten, that was originally FREEDOM FROM RELIGIOUS PROSECUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It wasn’t all about freedom from government and taxes! It was about the freedom to practice whatever religion you wanted. The problem has been that in 200+ years the people of the US have not adhered to that!!!!!!
There is also no reason why citizens/residents of Idaho Falls should not/could not donate money to the fireworks cause throughout the year in order to free it from the stranglehold that it currently it is under. For the Mayor’s office to say there is no interest in making sure that our holidays stay on the actual day of the holiday is preposterous! Do you honestly think the framers of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights would agree with switching the celebration of what they fought for to a different day every 7 years when the holiday falls on a Sunday just for the convenience of those of a particular religion? NO!!!!!!!!
It is up to the people who have a problem with the holiday being on a Sunday to change their celebration not the ENTIRE STATE OR CITY OR COUNTY!
