Couple someone explain to me, PLEASE, why LEO's are cruising like sharks on 4JUL looking for people shooting off fireworks, but on Tet they don't even show when the house down the street cranks off a 5K string of ladyfingers?  

I don't want them to stop (I enjoy pyro as much as anyone,) but if it's a "cultural" thing - what about MY culture?  I have a hard time thinking that CSJ or the State of Kalifornia has actually issued that many "Display Fireworks" permits, or that ATF will hand out "User Limited" permits in large numbers like that!

Let's not forget my rights while we are at it...

FFZ

Dude,your in the Peoples Republic of California. If your expecting to be able to express your [i]American[/i] traditions legally you must be out of your mind. What the hell is this country going to be like if we keep traveling down the same raod in 10y ears?

Ever hear of the Tet Offensive?  Its that Tet holiday!

Because San Jose has a very large Vietnamese community and the celebration of Chinese New Year's is of far greater importance than a measly event that took place in 1776. But the real reason is if the police cracked down on Chinese New Year's, they would be accused of racism. However, they can basically do anything they like on the 4th and few Americans will complain. Think of it as water following the path of least resistance.

Im on the American Heart Association Board in my little piece of the world, we jointly plan activities with the Red Cross. Red Cross shelters are to be fully staffed and supplied for the comming 4th events, and were asking for Nurses to help staff the centers. The threats are being taken very seriously. Islam said they were gonna whack us on the 4th.
Be prepared
Lebrew

Be prepared, but not scared...


Aviator  [img]www.milpubs.com/aviator.gif[/img]

The Chinese Lunar New Year. (Aprilish, IIRC) In 1968, the North Viet Namese indicated they wanted to observe their holiday peacefully. Then co-ordinated attacks all over South Viet Nam took place. The Mariens were isolated at Khe Sahn, for one thing. Lot of brave pilots flew C-130s into a hailstorm of AA fire to keep the base supplied during the siege....

Scott

i belive full metal jacket addresses the Tet new year,

"every zipperhead between here and ?????? will be howlin at the moon" or somthing like that

It's illegal for them, too. Call the cops next time. People breaking fireworks laws is not a violation of your rights. Some of y'all need to stop acting like a woman scorned.  

People breaking laws is NOT a violation of my rights - selective enforcement of laws is a POTENTIAL violation of my rights.  Selective enforcement of laws carried out and tilted against any specific individual, group, or race is a DEFINITE violation of rights.  Clear now?

BTW - I have called the cops.  I never seem to get a coherent answer.  

FFZ

Ahhh! You crack me up man!....The difference is that there was no threat of terrorism during the Tet celebration....But for the 4th there is.

Well, if Full Metal Jacket was accurate in it's explanation of Tet, it is actually like many of our holidays rolled into one.....New Year's, The Fourth of July, Memorial Day, etc. I just wish Americans in general could have access to better fireworks than we do. These little sparklers and snakes, etc are just lame. Give us bottle rockets, large strings of firecrackers, M-80's and some of those aerial display shells. I suppose the problem with fireworks is the same as with guns...a few bad eggs and idiots misuse them and the rest of us have to suffer for their stupidity.

I must say that here in Kentucky, most of the cool fireworks are illegal. But everyone just goes down to Tennessee and buys them. Many people all around my area set these off each year and so far no one has been injured seriously or cited as far as I know. The LEO's here just don't enforce it. That's the difference between this state and many. Some LEO's just see when laws are stupid and ignore them. Others enforce everything. Around here, the LEO's are spread pretty thin, so they spend their time looking for drunk drivers on the holidays, instead of harassing those who aren't bothering anyone.

The law banning fireworks, even the "safe & sane" types is dependent upon the cities in Kalif. Some cities it is legal, the next city 2 miles down the it may not. The liberals/news media can't wait to take away our individualilty. The local news media is constantly showing pix of stupid people with limbs blown away and burned flash etc. For me personally, I perfer to light a few cheap sparklers(with the usual precautions of adult supervision and water nearby) with my family in my backyard than to see a whole lot skyrockets at public performance.

   I think someone needs to mention the fire hazards involved in shooting fireworks. It doesn't take but one bottle rocket to set the woods on fire. I know from experience..........
Yes, I got it put out but I was close to calling the FD several times.
   Common sense goes a long way when shooting off fireworks but that commodity is in short supply these days.

I used to glue BBs to the tips of my bottle rockets, so they would have nice trajectories over my brother's fortifications.  I used a line of pipes and a propane torch to set off prepatory and assault barrages.  I guess I can consider myself as fitting your latter description [;)]