Enjoy a Safe & Sane 4th of July Weekend

When Americans celebrated the Fourth of July at the turn of the 20th century, they did so in such rowdy fashion that vandalism and destruction of both public and private property were commonplace.

This rampant hooliganism was suppressed only when public officials and the public-at-large decided that the holiday should be observed in what they termed a “safe and sane” manner.

Our Fourth of July celebrations today are much more restrained compared to those days, but far too many of us go a bit overboard in our observance of the holiday.

Drunk driving, drunk boating, drunk swimming, and using fireworks (especially while under the influence) will result in thousands of deaths and injuries across our nation this weekend — all because too many among us will have had too much to drink.

We urge our readers to make sure that they and their loved ones do not become one of those sad statistics. It is up to each of us to be responsible not only for ourselves, but also for those we care about. If someone among us is drinking too much, take their keys and make sure they are safe — none of us wants to have the regret, “If only I had stopped them from getting behind the wheel…”

We wish all of our readers a happy, safe, and sane Fourth of July.