Open Letter to Anyone Lighting Fireworks After the Fourth

Dear neighborhood noisemakers,

Your post-Fourth of July single firework displays are honestly not appreciated by anyone. We all get it. You found an extra firecracker or two and just have to light them off in your backyard as soon as the sun goes down -- every night this week.

But let's be honest, you know you're irritating your neighbors and you just don't care. Yet it's really not just about how annoying you are, it's about the damage you may be causing.

I know what you are thinking right now: "Why is this chick being such a negative Nancy (literally)?"

Well, I will tell you why.

Because adults with PTSD could have a serious reaction to the random firework you just have to set off. Wildlife could panic and abandon nests and babies because of the boom that firework makes. Seabirds have been known to eat and choke on firework debris.

The damage is real and the post-Fourth of July backyard fireworks can be the worst for animals and humans.

Think about it. Owners of pets with anxiety can prep them for the Fourth and its large displays of fireworks. People suffering from PTSD or those with autism can avoid fireworks shows altogether if they know it's not good for them.

When you spring a sudden backyard barrage of noise at unprepared people and pets, it can be extremely overwhelming and detrimental to their health. Not to mention irritating to pretty much everyone.

So this year, spare us all the solo firecracker after dark and skip the after-holiday backyard booms.

Thank you!