Every year around July 4, area newspapers run articles on fireworks safety (like this one), including the reminder that nearly all fireworks are illegal in the state; and those that are legal are probably illegal in your city. And every year, hundreds of area residents light sparklers, shoot off bottle rockets, and set off firecrackers anyway.

Next to speed limits, the most blatantly disregarded laws are arguably those against fireworks. Where I used to live, one of my neighbors would set off roman candles right on the street. And he was a police officer.

Since the states surrounding the Land of Lincoln have fewer restrictions on fireworks, Illinoisans can easily get an arsenal of pyrotechnics — in Missouri, especially. In fact, there are huge retailers that sell nothing but fireworks, and part of their marketing is to encourage Illinois residents to get their explosives before crossing the border.

And that’s apparently just what Illinoisans do. Every July 3, both before and after the Park District’s big fireworks display in Glen Oak Park, there are all kinds of skyrockets going off in the surrounding neighborhoods. And every July 4, you can hear all kinds of firecrackers going off until well into the evening. There seems to be a tacit consensus among residents that, as long as you’re not keeping your neighbors up at night, we’re not going to snitch on you.

After all, it is ironic that fireworks are iconic of American independence and freedom, yet are illegal. Perhaps that cognitive dissonance is what makes people so accepting of fireworks scofflaws. On the other hand, some will point to those who have been seriously injured or killed by fireworks as a justification for outlawing them. Fair enough. But generally speaking, injuries and death (and property damage, for that matter) occur because people are misusing fireworks (for example, shooting them off inside a house underneath the door to a fraternity brother’s room), and if we outlawed everything that could lead to injury or death if misused, we’d have to outlaw a whole lot of things, starting with bathtubs.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m not advocating breaking the law. I’m just acknowledging reality. On Independence Day, people are going to shoot off fireworks. They do it every year, despite media reminders that it’s illegal.

That said, have a fun and safe Fourth of July holiday weekend! I would encourage you all to enjoy legal fireworks displays at Glen Oak Park tonight and the Peoria Riverfront tomorrow. They’re better than anything you can buy at that big retailer in Missouri anyway.

Happy birthday, America!