Would Silent Fireworks Work Here in the Hudson Valley?
The 4th of July is over, but it sure was a big one, especially when it came to the fireworks displays. They seemed bigger and better than usual, maybe because we still feel as though we have to make up for lost time because of covid. A lot of July 4th celebrations were canceled in 2020 and 2021. So it’s nice that we were celebrating big, but not everybody loves fireworks.
Veterans with PTSD often have a hard time with fireworks. It’s especially bad if it’s an unplanned fireworks display like a regular partying kind of guy in the neighborhood sets off randomly on or around the holiday. Veterans can’t even plan ahead to either be out of the area or make other plans. And people with pets don’t always like fireworks, mostly because they scare the living daylights out of many of them. Dogs seem especially sensitive, but I have cats that are also afraid.
Which brings me to the point of this article. I was scrolling on Facebook the other day when I noticed a post about a town in Italy that uses silent fireworks. The post said that they started using them so that Veterans could enjoy the sights without the sounds, and so that pets would not be freaked out by the loud noises. I couldn’t help thinking what a great idea this whole silent fireworks thing is, and how can we get them here in the Hudson Valley?
But, here is the thing. I did a little research and found out from Snopes.com that silent fireworks aren’t exactly silent. They are more like quiet fireworks, and apparently while they are lower in noise, they are not quite as big and showy as many of the fireworks that we’re accustomed to. I don’t know about you, but I would gladly give up some of the pomp for a display that can be enjoyed by everyone. What do you think? Would “silent” fireworks work here in the Hudson Valley?