Every single 4th of July — without exception — people in America get injured or killed by fireworks, but almost every one of those accidents could have been prevented with a little common sense.

DEATHS IN MICHIGAN AND OKLAHOMA — SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES

Two people were killed by fireworks hundreds of miles apart from each other, but they both died because they made the exact same mistake: inspecting a lit firework up close. Many, many more people will also be killed the same way this year, but I only need two examples to make my point.

My point: Don’t hold fireworks near your face, especially after you light their fuses.

In Oklahoma, a 20-year-old man was killed after a rocket “unexpectedly” went off and struck him in the throat. He had lit the rocket’s fuse, but it didn’t ignite, so he decided to examine it. While doing so, it ignited and blasted into his neck. The trauma combined with inhaling hot gas was fatal.

In Michigan, a 27-year-old mother of three was killed when she leaned over to inspect a large commercial-grade mortar and it detonated in her face. The charge was designed to soar 200-300 feet in the air. Her family watched her die as the rest of the fireworks display continued uninterrupted.

The vast majority of the firework-related injuries are caused by illegally-purchased fireworks.

Over 10,000 people were injured by fireworks in America last year, despite many states having laws that prohibit them. The laws don’t work because the only thing guaranteed to protect everyone from fireworks is COMMON SENSE — and you can’t force people to have common sense.

So, just in case you are reading this and didn’t know that it’s a bad idea to examine an explosive device after you light the fuse: it’s a really bad idea to examine an explosive device after you light the fuse.

By all means, go blow shit up — but BE CAREFUL. Nobody likes anyone with half a hand.

If that didn’t make sense to you, try this: Firework makes big boom. Big boom hurts, makes bad burn. Burn no good. Firework gets lighted, it go boom. If it NOT go boom, NO touchy anyway.

Sources: 1, 2