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Bonfire night as it is more commonly known in the UK is upon us yet again and there appears to be a small war going on around my house as soon as the sun goes down. It would seem that everybody's calendar apart from mine incorrectly displays the date that these airborne missiles should be launched! The observant among you may have spotted slight sarcasm in the tone of my words so I will elaborate my thoughts as I put on my humbug hat in preparation for the Christmas festivals.

Why oh why oh why do we, living in a civilised society still insist on allowing the general public to be in sole ownership and responsible for many bombs and explosions in the form of fireworks. Before you go searching me out to string me up to be placed on some godforsaken bonfire please hear my for and against thoughts.

Against: Approximately 1000 adults, children and babies require hospital treatment each year in the UK alone through firework injuries and 5% of these are classed as serious accidents and required to stay in hospital for one or more nights. Fact.

Against: In these so-called green and environmentally friendly times does it really make sense that we spend all year sorting our home recycling products to save the environment and then pump the atmosphere full of smoke through fireworks and bonfires come November 5. Fact.

Against: Hundreds and thousands of pets, cats and dogs all over the world are constantly petrified by the letting off of fireworks two weeks before and after November 5^th. Numerous birds are killed through shock. Fact.

Against: The whole reason for fireworks night is to celebrate the fact that a gunpowder plot was foiled and prevented the UK Parliament from being blown skyhigh. I wonder if such strong objections would apply to today's motley crew? You decide.

Against: 100.000.000 hedgehogs die each year as we build bonfires that they have previously snuck into to hibernate (Actual figures may be slightly exaggerated)

Against: They cost a fortune and my granny hates them. Fact.

The argument for: Its tradition, looks pretty and as a united nation we have the right to blow each other up by accident in the name of entertainment and traditionalism.

I have a feeling that there may be more arguments for fireworks and bonfire night but as you may have guessed by now I am not really the person to ask. What I would like to see however is fireworks in this day and age replaced by laser shows, the recent London 2012 Olympics showed us that some fantastic shows can be achieved through lights and lasers and with the addition of music can make a spectacular event for us all as well as being far safer than setting light to small explosives in our backyard.

After all do you really want a small explosion in your back passage each and every year?

To add some officialism (is there such a word) to my argument here is a quotation from a country that you would not expect to be so actively campaigning to "stop fireworks"

For too long, elderly people, children and animals have been terrorised by anti-social behaviour involving fireworks. However, fireworks remain a holiday fixture in most communities around the world despite the increased acceptance of alternatives such as laser light shows.

Fireworks can create joy and excitement, but for many of the population and for all animals, fireworks are no cause for celebration.  Restrictions must be put into place.

Voice for the Voiceless

South Africa