Explosions, courtesy of the European Union - 12/31/08 08:35 AM
Right now, Sweden feels like this:
Explosions
Explosions! Explosions! Explosions! Okay, I'm talking about fireworks. I hate them. All right, some of them are pretty when they rain a shower of multi-colored sparks high overhead. But so many of them just explode, just making a horrible harsh sharp shocking sound. And they go off everywhere right now.
It is like this. Fireworks have been legal in Sweden for as long as I can remember, but before we joined the European Union, fireworks could be sold only between December 27 and December 31. Well, so that people could have fireworks to celebrate the new year.
Gradually the fireworks became more and more of a nuisance. It is not legal to sell fireworks to persons under the age of 15, but lots of fathers bought fireworks for their underage sons anyway. And in a lot of stores the cashiers didn't ask about the age of the kids who carried armloads of big fat rockets. Then the kids ran wild, shooting fireworks everywhere, sometimes throwing their 'explosionware' after little kiddies, pensioners and dogs.
So the Swedish government had enough. They decided to outlaw fireworks. But this was about five years ago or a little more, and we were now members of the European Union. And the EU said no-no when Sweden wanted to ban fireworks. Banning fireworks was a way to limit the free market within the European Union, you see. Makers of fireworks in Brussels and Strasbourg would not be able to sell their stuff in Sweden if we outlawed their products. So instead of banning fireworks, Sweden ended up making them legal all year round. Because, so the government told us, that is what the EU had ordered them to do.
Fortunately fireworks are unusual in Sweden during most of the year. Now, however, is a time when you can't be entirely sure that something won't explode next to your feet if you go outside. Yeeech!!!!
Ann
Explosions
Explosions! Explosions! Explosions! Okay, I'm talking about fireworks. I hate them. All right, some of them are pretty when they rain a shower of multi-colored sparks high overhead. But so many of them just explode, just making a horrible harsh sharp shocking sound. And they go off everywhere right now.
It is like this. Fireworks have been legal in Sweden for as long as I can remember, but before we joined the European Union, fireworks could be sold only between December 27 and December 31. Well, so that people could have fireworks to celebrate the new year.
Gradually the fireworks became more and more of a nuisance. It is not legal to sell fireworks to persons under the age of 15, but lots of fathers bought fireworks for their underage sons anyway. And in a lot of stores the cashiers didn't ask about the age of the kids who carried armloads of big fat rockets. Then the kids ran wild, shooting fireworks everywhere, sometimes throwing their 'explosionware' after little kiddies, pensioners and dogs.
So the Swedish government had enough. They decided to outlaw fireworks. But this was about five years ago or a little more, and we were now members of the European Union. And the EU said no-no when Sweden wanted to ban fireworks. Banning fireworks was a way to limit the free market within the European Union, you see. Makers of fireworks in Brussels and Strasbourg would not be able to sell their stuff in Sweden if we outlawed their products. So instead of banning fireworks, Sweden ended up making them legal all year round. Because, so the government told us, that is what the EU had ordered them to do.
Fortunately fireworks are unusual in Sweden during most of the year. Now, however, is a time when you can't be entirely sure that something won't explode next to your feet if you go outside. Yeeech!!!!
Ann