Fireworks in Lancaster After Mayor Defies County’s Pyrotechnics Ban
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris defied a Los Angeles County public health order on July 4 that banned firework displays. He did so with the blessing of the City Council, which voted to move forward with the show during an emergency vote earlier that day.
“The city has considered all risks and feels confident in our ability to safely host a show,” Parris wrote on the city’s Facebook page. He said residents deserve the fireworks display “after a year of continuing challenges.”
The health order was aimed at discouraging social gatherings, as California confronts a surge in coronavirus cases. But Parris believed it would have the opposite effect, fostering boredom and encouraging other avenues of socialization
Parris said he was willing to get arrested Saturday night if that’s what it took. There were no arrests. The show went on without incident.
According to CBS Los Angeles, the Board of Supervisors and the County Fire Department both said they would not take action against the show. Perhaps that has something to do with the large volume of fireworks on display Saturday night. Despite the county ban, incredible video from KCal 9 showed Los Angeles alight with illegal fireworks.
From face masks to beach closures and now fireworks, there has been a remarkable level of defiance against state and county public health orders. Americans are deeply divided today. State and local governments are too.
