Heath Haussamen
The debate about whether responsibility lies with government, businesses or individuals is bogus. We all have a responsibility to our society. With infernos burning around us, that means doing everything in our power to reduce the risk of fire.
Moments after learning about an out-of-control fire that’s burning in Los Alamos County on Sunday evening, I happened to drive by the gas station near my house. Outside, a large, yellow sign proclaimed that the gas station was selling fireworks.
I whipped out my iPhone and tweeted this question: Shouldn’t responsible corporate neighbors choose to not sell fireworks this year?
After all, major fires have burned recently across the state, from Raton in the north to Las Cruces in the south, and from Luna in the west to Carlsbad in the east. Fires are currently burning near Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Socorro. Check out this map showing fires in the southwest since Jan. 1.
Former Republican congressional and PRC candidate C. Earl Greer, always the champion of individual responsibility, appropriately responded to my tweet with this:
“Shouldn’t responsible citizens choose not to purchase & use fireworks this year?”
During some back and forth, he shared a belief that if people didn’t buy fireworks, stores wouldn’t stock and sell them, and said, while many strive to make corporations “the evil empire,” it’s actually citizens who “have the power” to effect change.
It’s my view that both citizens and businesses have a responsibility to effect change in the society in which they live or operate. After all, the U.S. Supreme Court has long held that corporations have some of the rights given to citizens.
That means they also have the responsibilities of citizens. Profit can’t be the only consideration.
And this year, it’s simply irresponsible for businesses in New Mexico to sell fireworks, just as it’s irresponsible for individuals to buy and light them.
Combatting a catastrophic possibility
Some say the government should ban the sale and/or use of all fireworks statewide this year. That’s certainly one approach, but one that can’t happen without a special session of the Legislature, as the Las Cruces Sun-News reported Sunday.
Local governments should go as far as they can in banning fireworks. In Doña Ana County, the Las Cruces City Council and the county commission have done that, outlawing all fireworks except those that are protected under state law. But, as the Sun-News reported, Anthony and Mesilla haven’t enacted similar bans.
That’s irresponsible, and they should enact the limitations allowed under state law immediately.
The governor has already urged New Mexicans to refrain from using fireworks this summer. She could call lawmakers into session and ask them to enact a statewide ban. Similarly, lawmakers could call themselves into session to do that.
The governor and lawmakers should either do that or explain to the citizens of New Mexico why they won’t.
As for businesses, they simply shouldn’t sell fireworks, period, and that includes you, Pic Quik Stores in Las Cruces. In addition, the media should do its part by not selling ads like this one promoting the sale of fireworks.
This is a time in which profit isn’t the only consideration. Even if it was, all these fires are hurting tourism, destroying our forests and polluting the air. Selling fireworks will probably lead to more fires, and that will ultimately hurt the bottom line.
Then there are the citizens. Don’t buy fireworks, please. You may think yours won’t be the ones to cause fires, but the people who end up starting the fires will probably have thought the same thing. There are better ways to celebrate our nation’s independence this year. One could argue that refraining from shooting off fireworks, and protecting our state and national parks, forests and cities, is actually the patriotic thing to do.
That’s especially true given a recent report in the Tucson Citizen. Because of the human-caused overgrowth of forests, extreme drought, and warmer temperatures, “experts say the Southwest has entered an era of monster fires, sprawling infernos that, if they continue to erupt, could wipe out half of (Arizona’s) pine forests in another decade.”
I’m guessing the same is possible in New Mexico.
A false debate
The reason I wrote this column is this: People often get caught up in a debate about whether responsibility lies with government, businesses or individuals, as if any of us are exempt from the responsibilities of being part of this society.
It’s a false debate. We’re in a crisis. The government, our businesses, and we the people all have a responsibility to our society. In this instance, that means doing everything in our power to reduce the risk of fire.
I’m doing my part by not buying or shooting off fireworks this summer. I hope this column helps motivate other individuals, corporations and governments to do their parts.