Yeah but none of them are anywhere near as ephemeral as a firework display.
Xantar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Yup, that could also be said about music, cinema and any other form of art that doesn’t produce anything “useful” but again, what is “useful” varies from one person to another.
Ultimately nothing matters because there is no true meaning of life, so anything that pulls you away from the dark nothingness of existence is good to take.
Grayox@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Xantar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
That doesn’t make them more/less worth it.
If your criteria for worthiness is persistence then is a nice looking meal as worth it as a goop ?
Feathercrown@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Something like a sunset, a blizzard, or a thunderstorm are the more closely comparable natural equivalent. They’re special because they’re short-lived or rare.
howrar@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
A theater performance is equally ephemeral. Or a concert. Or meeting your favorite celebrity. Or a good meal.
Thavron@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
It’s a nihilist, Donny!
Land_Strider@lemmy.world 2 months ago
There’s nothing to be afraid of.
mecfs@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Eh. Half of that 2.7 billion being put into research into a disease like Myalgic Enceph. (ME) could probably significantly improve the quality of life of 80 million people who have one of the worlds most disabling diseases.
bungalowtill@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
BS
rodbiren@midwest.social 2 months ago
I can’t think of other art forms that blow off the hands of so many people, wake up my daughter in terror at 11PM, and make both dogs and veterans suffer for an extended period of time. I’m fine with the large group spectacle that is planned and controlled. What I can’t stand is the widespread uncontrollable nonsense of just anyone buying them and setting them off at any hour on the 4th. Law enforcement can do absolutely nothing about it. I’m just gonna have to deal with it. I’m just surprised we haven’t collectively shifted to something less harmful.
illi@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Not just dogs or other pets, but also farm and wild animals. And it may not only lead to suffering, but also lead to their deaths.
intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Really?
illi@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Yep. With wild animals it may result in the running away in fear without thought and get lost or injured which may result in their death. This technically applies to all animals.
Another aspect which affects all is heart attack from the shock.
nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
A local icecream place that also had goats and ducks was fucking setting them off right over the goat pen. They were sprinting from shelter to shelter inbetween explosions.
I don’t plan on going back there now. It’s a shame because it’s one of the better shops nearby.
A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s what I’m saying. One day we’ll look back in amazement that we let the public buy fireworks willy-nilly. Even the “it was good enough for me!” crowd of angry old-timers will have to go “Well, yeah, people blowed they hands off. And it bothered my veteran son and the neighbor’s dogs a lot. They’re alright.”
Now, I fully admit later today I will be running around in a country field with my friends shooting bottle rockets at each other. But we won’t be bothering SOMEONE ELSE, and that’s my thing.
ramble81@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Except fireworks has literally been a part of civilization for 1,000 plus years, so I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
So have horses
intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 months ago
One day we’ll look back in amazement that we let people have sex willy nilly and bond with whomever they like on a whim, forming friendships and families without central oversight.
But that doesn’t mean that future we’ll be looking back from in amazement won’t be a dystopian nightmare, or that our perspective won’t be warped by even more decades of infantilization.
Feathercrown@lemmy.world 2 months ago
As someone who generally is in favor of regulating dangerous things, fireworks are fine as-is. They’re basically limited to one night a year, the damage is not very extreme, and the people getting hurt are by and large the people choosing to endanger themselves.
Xantar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
You make a good point. Which can also be made about any form of freedom as soon as it encroaches on someone else’s comfort.
Ignoring the obvious nuance, a loud concert or a horror movie are also not something law enforcement will do anything against but it could terrorize people as well.
odigo2020@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
If a loud concert or horror movie popped up next door and rattled the houses of an entire neighborhood from 10pm to 2am, I’m pretty sure law enforcement would do something about it.
Xantar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Did you miss the “Ignoring the obvious nuance”
Mac@mander.xyz 2 months ago
it would bother you that much even only being once a year? really?
that’s wild
intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Do you understand why this is our way of celebrating Independence Day? Fireworks are a loud, visible, symbol and example of freedom from authority.
Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You mean freedom from british authority, we still have authority.
rodbiren@midwest.social 2 months ago
We also have the freedom to self govern. Laws are on the books to prevent firework usage in my state, it is simply ignored one night a year because it turns out mass lawbreaking is hard to handle. I don’t have the right to conduct a parade in the middle of whichever street I want whenever I want. I participate in the social contract of sacrificing absolute freedom for mutual gain because I live in a country and am not a sovereign citizen claiming complete supremacy over all others. My taxes pay for a small and well moderated fireworks show at a designated location conducted by a local government for which I had a hand in voting for. My freedom is louder, collective, voted for, and more sensible. Not all freedom must be focused soley on the individual.