Deborah Sekou: Fireworks do not signal celebration to some

To The Daily Sun,

This letter in no way is a criticism of patriotism, the organizers of fireworks, or the rights of people to enjoy them. It is merely an observation based on what I know about living in war-torn countries.

Earlier this month the biggest fireworks display in the state of New Hampshire took place in Laconia. That was the claim, anyway, and I have absolutely no reason to dispute it. As I listened, I was taken back to when I lived in a war zone and my heart began to beat faster. While I wasn’t really afraid, it sounded so much like the real thing that I began to feel uncomfortable. I began to think about the many who suffer from PTSD, in particular our soldiers, who might have been carried back to memories they didn’t want to experience again. I’m sure the sky was beautifully lit up and those watching enjoyed the magnificent display — but I wonder how many more had to grit their teeth and pray for it to end.

Then I had another thought — what is going to happen across the country when the many Afghan refugees begin arriving and we Americans begin celebrating with fireworks near them. If we think our soldiers have suffered from PTSD and find it difficult, let’s begin to count the many children and adults of this war-torn nation who are going to hear those sounds and be emotionally transported to the very streets and villages they saw destroyed. Generations of Afghans have known this sound since birth as a sound that means death and destruction. I can’t imagine how they will feel, but I know how deeply it affected me after only two years hearing it as an adult. I wasn’t a soldier and simply had to wait for it to end. They weren’t firing at me, but I have a bullet that came through my ceiling; a mere speck of sand compared to the explosive devices they saw that shatter buildings. What will these people carry in their memories — their homes being destroyed, loved ones dead in the streets — things we see only on television if we watch the news.

So, as Americans are preparing to welcome these people in need to our states, I hope there are adjustments we can make to avoid traumatizing them further. Should we give something up that is a major patriotic celebration for us? While signs, radios and articles will let Americans know the show is coming, I believe it will be the responsibility of those of us who are sponsors and supporters of the refugees to make sure they are warned and understand — we have to remember that many do not read, write or understand English and could easily miss the subtle cues of things to come. How lucky we Americans are that we have not gone through what they have and we can see fireworks as merely a thing of beauty and excitement.

Deborah Sekou

Laconia