Well, here we are again, “celebrating” the nation’s independence by blowing things up. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why it is acceptable to make our peaceful existence sound as if we are in the midst of a war zone.

Why can’t we be grateful, not only for freedom but also for the fact that we are not at war, that no one is lobbing mortars and bombs and planting IEDs in our backyards? Why do we insist on terrorizing wild and domestic animals that we claim to love? Where do we get off, sending the very servicemen and women who fought to protect our blessed freedoms into fear and dread, as the explosions trigger their PTSD? How about the refugees we so proudly brought here, to live with us and share our island?

Every Independence Day, Vashon has incidences of lost pets, some never recovered. Countless others are closed in dark rooms, trembling until the “festivities” are over. Livestock races in pastures, some throwing themselves against fencing in an attempt to escape. The wild animals, birds, and water life are left without a thought to deal with the havoc we heap upon them. And then, there are the fires and accidents.

All of this is gross negligence and sheer carelessness, as we greedily disregard the lives of others and the beautiful place we call home.

In a time when silent fireworks are available, choosing ear-shattering bombs for the Quartermaster display is selfish. Were we to replace the noise of the big show with silent, yet still beautiful, offerings, most of the terror of the 4th would be avoided. Home fireworks do not present the intensity and duration that mark the nighttime display.

Can we compromise in this way? Please?

For those who have no voice,

— Debbie Butler