Compliments to the Star-Advertiser for excellent coverage of the New Year’s Eve fireworks tragedy. Beside the details of mishap, we got the full package of official hand-wringing and resolve. Serious statements indeed: The governor will work to make illegal fireworks penalties “very, very severe” and raise possession to a Class C felony with a 5-year prison term and a $10,000 fine. In another column it says unauthorized possession and use is a Class C felony. These fireworks control laws must be really powerful stuff.

About the use issue: We noticed no arrests or fireworks seizures in our neighborhood, which got pretty loud.

As mentioned in the paper’s coverage, it’s a cultural thing. A few deaths won’t change that.

State Sen. Glenn Wakai kept it real. Instead of pieties, he’s quoted saying he isn’t confident about seeing meaningful change.

John Goetzinger

Hawaii Kai

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