[ti:Nightly Fireworks Across the US Cause Public Concern] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Most Americans welcome a fireworks show on July 4th, the nation's Independence Day. [00:08.80]Many also enjoy them on New Year's Day and in private celebrations. [00:16.40]As a nightly event, however, the explosions are not so well received. [00:24.56]But that is exactly what Americans in many cities across the country [00:31.08]have reported experiencing over the last several weeks. [00:37.12]Some people are angry about the fireworks and want them to stop. [00:42.92]Some want to know who is responsible and want them to stop. [00:49.00]Some people are afraid of what the nightly explosions might mean and want them to stop. [00:58.60]Julie Heckman is wondering, herself. [01:01.80]She leads the American Pyrotechnics Association, a fireworks industry trade group. [01:09.96]Her industry had high hopes for 2020. [01:14.68]Then came the Covid-19 crisis with its closures and cancellations. [01:22.20]That had people who sell fireworks worried that sales would be low. [01:29.00]Those fears, however, have gone up in smoke. [01:34.24]"Sales are off the hook right now," Heckman said. [01:38.56]She added that the industry is concerned about reports of fireworks use [01:44.68]in cities where it violates local laws. [01:49.68]New York City is an example. [01:52.28]And the city's mayor Bill de Blasio has set up a task force to deal with the illegal activity. [02:01.72]New Yorkers were among the first in the country to report the late night noise. [02:07.92]Many are losing sleep. [02:10.56]One child was reported injured by an explosion this week. [02:17.00]"This is a real problem. [02:19.12]It is not just a quality-of-life problem and a noise problem," de Blasio said. [02:25.92]The task force will carry out operations to try to stop the sales of the explosives. [02:33.92]The group is made up of police, firefighters [02:38.00]and the Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. [02:43.44]Other officials express similar concern. [02:47.20]New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said [02:50.56]there are too many reports of fireworks being set off across the state. [02:56.28]"This is no way to blow off steam," he told reporters recently in Trenton, the capital. [03:05.28]Officials in Oakland, California, said they have received more complaints [03:11.40]of illegal fireworks and reports of celebratory gunfire than usual this year. [03:19.12]At least five fires have been linked to fireworks since late May, officials said. [03:26.40]And in Denver, Colorado, police seized 1,360 kilograms of illegal fireworks during a traffic stop. [03:38.24]There are many different opinions about why fireworks have gotten so popular. [03:45.56]Some social media users are posting messages that blame the government. [03:51.24]Some of them suggest the police are setting off fireworks [03:55.64]to intimidate people protesting police violence around the country. [04:02.12]"My neighbors and I believe that this is part of a coordinated attack [04:08.16]on Black and Brown communities by government forces," [04:12.76]said writer Robert Jones Jr. in a Twitter post. [04:18.16]His recent posts on fireworks have been retweeted thousands of times. [04:25.60]A video captured in New York appears to show fire department workers [04:30.92]setting off the explosives outside their station. [04:36.12]Pyrotechnics expert and company owner Mike Tockstein has a different explanation. [04:44.20]"Fireworks are used across the entire country [04:48.28]for a full month leading up to the Fourth of July," he said. [04:53.76]"There is a slight uptick, but I don't think it's anything more [04:57.88]than people are stuck at home and hey, look, fireworks are available." [05:05.08]No matter who is responsible, the noisy light shows could last for some time. [05:12.20]Many seasonal stores only opened this week. [05:16.44]Tockstein predicts people will continue to buy fireworks in the days leading up to July 4th. [05:26.08]I'm Caty Weaver. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM