Is One Montana Town Considering A Ban On This Holiday Favorite?

Few things will get people more fired up than talking about "banning" something that's important to them.

You see, we Americans take our freedoms seriously (mostly) and when there is talk about removing something that is not only a beloved tradition but also dealing with the very fabric of our nation, well, that causes a whole lot of controversy.  Of course, when you think about America and tradition, you think about the 4th of July.

Independence Day is about America as you can get, and part of that celebration is fireworks.

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People of all ages love fireworks, so you can imagine that if you started talking about getting rid of them, that might upset some folks. According to a recent Facebook post, we could have ourselves a fireworks controversy brewing here in Montana.

On the Facebook page "The Real Ask Bozeman" Clint Field a member of the site and owner of the Big Box Fireworks stand made a post about the city of Belgrade and how they're considering a ban on both the selling and usage of fireworks for personal use. As you can imagine, this idea has received some reaction, which I understand. I certainly have many fond memories of going and buying fireworks and then shooting them off for the holiday.

I mean, isn't that just part of being an American?

Mr. Field also wrote an opinion letter that was published in the Belgrade News regarding the situation. In that letter, he stated the following:

"I was surprised to learn that the Belgrade City Council was meeting on July 5 to discuss an outright ban of the fireworks our town just got through enjoying. There wasn’t a posted agenda. No public notice or any attempt to reach the families who earn their livings from fireworks. It was secret. When asked why operators weren’t notified since we give all of our information to obtain a business license, the city manager and city attorney both said that it would create a ‘dangerous precedent to notify businesses that the council is impacting with bans and regulations”.

Big Box Fireworks has been in business for over 20 years, and if such a ban were to pass, would be put out of business along with any other fireworks vendors in the town of Belgrade.

There will be a special meeting regarding the situation on August 22nd at 6 pm.  The meeting will be held in the auditorium in Belgrade High School. If you are a resident of Belgrade or would like your voice and opinion to be heard, I have no doubt that your attendance would be much appreciated.

Credit: Belgrade News