For all those who intend to set off fireworks, may I say this to you as individuals, charities, schools or whoever? Imagine that a vulnerable loved one is alone. It may be a young child, it may be an elderly relative. Without any warning, large blasts occur in their vicinity. They have no idea whether this is a single event or will go on at intermittent intervals for that evening, or just that evening. It could be the start of something much worse. Distress levels elevate, no support is available; there is no idea of whether the stimulation will stop or go on and on. Eventually your loved one may lose control of bladder or bowel or vomit as a nervous reaction to the unrelenting distress. Or worse. That is a horrible scenario, but that's what you are going to do to my loved one. Yes, my loved one is a pet, but maybe when you set off your supposedly pleasurable experience, you might like to think of how, for example, a violent home invasion would affect you. That is what you are doing. Shall I frighten your children to the same degree? Of course, as Roger Rabbits suggests, there should be a ban. The only real motivation to continue this practice is for commercial gain for a small minority, who place their interests above others. To those who promote large displays, have you not learned from the Bethlehem disaster? Did those who didn't think before letting of fireworks compensate the owners of the lost dog? Did they come and clean up vomit in my house, nearly 10 kilometres away from their self-indulgent nonsense? Why cannot you think of doing something more realistic in this day and age? Do a laser light display. Between the commercial parasites and Christian entities, there is a gulf, but the effects are still the same on my dog. I make no apology. To each and every one of you that lights the touch paper: you owe me and my dog an apology. But also an explanation as to why you persist in this archaic nonsense.

G McKinstry, Tauranga City.