The 4th seems to have morphed into simply a reason to trash our beaches and neighborhoods. Instead of gathering family and friends for the day to enjoy an outing of food and fun to celebrate our freedoms, some people take it to a level of disturbing others with exploding illegal fireworks that also frighten pets.To add to their criminal acts, they feel it's their right to leave their trash, some of it toxic, for others to pick up. As a 68-year-old military veteran, the 4th is becoming more a time to dread rather than a celebration. The people who trashed our local beaches and neighborhoods don't deserve the freedoms they supposedly are celebrating.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');Rick McNamerSmith River googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });