Little boys light dangerous firecrackers because their fathers--who belong to a generation that took pride in lighting dangerous firecrackers--expect them to. As such, lighting dangerous firecrackers has become a subliminal rite of passage, a sign of masculinity, a challenge, a substitute for shooting down objects of enmity, anger, fear, shame, guilt, frustration, disappointment, rejection, failure, and other aspects of negativity in life.

To work on an effective firecracker ban, work on the FATHERS, the UNCLES, and the GRANDFATHERS, who have the money to buy pyrotechnics but no sufficient knowledge about masculinism.

It may take two more generations before firecrackers are completely relegated to public parks.

In the Philippines, lighting firecrackers has absolutely nothing to do with driving away evil spirits. Besides, even if it did, why are those spirits still present during the coming year?