The Fourth is the best of holidays

The Fourth is the best of holidays

Of all the holidays our country celebrates throughout the year, there is none that I enjoy and love more than the Fourth of July.

I’ve heard it said that America is God’s country because its people love God. I believe America is God’s country because of the thousands of others before us who, with God’s love and help, were willing to die so that all people had the right to be born equal and free.

I love to see all the American flags waving from buildings and homes, and I always find a lump in my throat seeing the American flags standing guard over the graves of the deceased in our cemeteries.

I continue to think of the Fourth of July as my “free to be” day.

It’s the day when I was blessed to be free to think, free to speak, free to worship, free to do and free to just be me.

I believe America is not only God’s country, but its people are God’s children.

I hope and pray God will always bless America and that the American flag will always fly free, and in the dark of night the American sky will be ablaze with the sight and sound of fireworks.

In remembrance of my grandparents, who came from Europe. Even though they spoke broken English, their words said it all: “In America, we have it good.”

Mary Lou Jurina, Youngstown

Celebrate the Fourth safely

Consumer fireworks, includ- ing sparkers, are extremely dangerous. The new fireworks injury data released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this week show that there was a 26 percent increase to 8,800 serious injuries and 2 deaths in 2009. These injuries are needless and can be altogether prevented.

Half of all fireworks injuries are to innocent bystanders, many of them children. Most of the fireworks injuries occurred to children and young adults under the age of 20. The safety of our children is the price we would pay in expanding use of consumer fireworks.

Prevent Blindness Ohio cares about this issue because eyes are the second most injured part of the body. We believe there is no safe way to use backyard fireworks and support the development and enforcement of bans on the importation, sale and use of all fireworks and sparklers, except those used in authorized public displays by licensed operators.

Prevent Blindness Ohio urges all citizens to stay away from backyard fireworks this holiday season and celebrate in safer ways.

Sherill K. Williams, Columbus

The writer is president & CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio.