“Law that is not obeyed is a mockery of justice.” That principle is not only valid for federal law but is also valid for local law on the municipal level. And it appears after passing another July 4 “fireworks festival” in Gilroy that the city is basically helpless to enforce any action against the bonehead residents who not only don’t care about lighting illegal fireworks, but also take pleasure in lighting them before July 1 and well after July 4.
In my attempt to share my frustration with our mayor and city council, I emailed them the following note:
“Well, another July 4, and as I write this at 10:45pm it’s another ‘joke’ regarding Gilroy’s empty threat of ‘no support for illegal fireworks.’ I think this year has been the worst of any July 4 regarding the explosions of illegal fireworks—very loud military-sounding blasts going off just about continually all over the area of Welburn Ave., Santa Teresa Blvd. and Mantelli Dr. with impunity.
“Listening to the scanner, the police are overwhelmed with calls about illegal fireworks and really don’t give this a high priority. So, apparently, we residents, who are sick and tired of this noise abuse, must grin and bear it?
“These illegal blasts start around July 1, crescendo on July 4, and go on past July 6, as I recall from last year. So, is the profit motive for ‘non-profit orgs’ really worth the City of Gilroy allowing even ‘safe and sane’ fireworks to continue each year with so many abusers? It appears to me that the noise abusers have won, and not only are you powerless to do anything about it, you don’t care.”
Mayor Don Gage replied: “This is one time I agree with you. This has been before (City) Council many times and rejected. The Fire (department?) does not support this either.”
While my email went to the entire city council and city administrator, at least Mayor Gage had the courtesy to reply to me, even if it offered no solution to the problem. The rest of them were stone silent.
In addition, from a local Facebook page, “Gilroy Neighborhood Watch,” the facilitator shared that cops would have to witness an illegal firework being set off to do anything like write a citation.
But he did add that a law-abiding citizen could always make a citizen’s arrest of the perpetrator setting off illegal fireworks. Right. That’s just the action to take if you want to target yourself and your house for vandalism by the same people who don’t obey the very clear Gilroy law about illegal fireworks.
So dear people who do obey the Gilroy fireworks law, here’s another slap in our faces compliments of our local government. And I’ll add as well: “Law that is not enforced is a mockery of justice.” Enforce it, or get rid of it.
James Fennell has lived in Gilroy since 2000 with his wife Diana. They have 8 adult children and 17 grandchildren. He retired from IBM after 30 years in middle management. He wrote this piece for the Dispatch.
