I am a hypocrite. We all are.
I make my son do things that I know are good for him, though I don’t do them myself.
I look in judgment at others who behave in the exact same ways I manage to justify for myself.
And again, I am not alone. Some people do more than I do, some less, but we all do it to an extent.
And here is one of the things I am hypocritical about… hypocrisy, in others of course, drives me nuts.
We are currently butted up against one of the state’s most hypocritical days — outside of tax day and the release of the biennial budget — the Fourth of July.
Perhaps it is just me, though I doubt so, but I find it hypocritical that the State of Ohio allows businesses to sell fireworks, but doesn’t allow residents to discharge them.
For years, this time of year fireworks ads fill the airwaves, both television and radio. Dozens of mailers litter mailboxes. Small roadside stands pop up.
All of this while using or really even having fireworks in the state is against the law.
In Ohio, it is illegal to set off fireworks. It is so illegal that when you buy fireworks in the state you must sign a document (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) specifically stating that you understand it is illegal to use them and that you promise to take them out of state within 48 hours.
This feels like a money grab. A good way to have it both ways. It seems like a way to charge sales tax and require businesses to pay fees, but still have the opportunity to pretend we care about the safety of residents and their quality of life.
Senate Bill 113 would dispense with the ridiculous charade and make fireworks legal, at least on certain days.
I don’t really care one way or the other. I don’t shoot off fireworks and I don’t generally go to parties that do…though even if I did I wouldn’t violate my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination or narc on a friend just for the sake of a good column. How’s that for patriotism.
But I do care about this level of hypocrisy. We wouldn’t tolerate it in any other arena. We wouldn’t sell alcohol to high school students so long as buyers pinky-promise not to drink it and to give it away to someone of age within 48 hours.
We have come to expect and endure a certain level of hypocrisy — at risk of alienating readers or angering public officials — I will not go into details. I feel good that you can list some and I am positive I will get from our subscribers several submissions for this list.
But most of those hypocrisies have the decency shine me on and pretend that they are for the greater good.
I am OK with Ohio getting the revenue from fireworks sales. But do me the courtesy of passing SB 113 so we can all stop pretending.
-Mac Cordell is a reporter for the Journal-Tribune.