Call for ban on sparklers

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Call me heartless but I have a bone to pick with Channel 9 over this story: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/video.asp...2-f3f9df04f066

For those on dial-up, a brief synopsis: 16 year old kids make a sparkler fountain (called a "roman candle" in the video) by shoving sparklers down a metal tube. Surprise surprise, it explodes and causes serious damage to one kid, taking off 4 fingers and cutting up a jaw very badly in the process, he nearly lost an eye as well. Channel 9 interview parents who not only admit they have let him make them before (illegal - falls under the category of improvised explosive / firework) but they then turn around and call for a BAN on all sparklers.

Now while I do think it is tragic that this poor kid will have scaring for life, heck, he nearly lost his life, it was due to his own stupidity and the lack of care and common sense demonstrated by his parents.

Firstly, you don't make these sorts of devices, period.

Secondly, if you do, you realise that you are placing yourself in danger and are willing to accept any consequences of your actions.

Thirdly, do some bloody research! My first thoughts were why on EARTH were they using a metal tube! Many moons ago I was going to go for my Pyrotechnics license and let me tell you, plastic is bad enough but any metal housing, at least from a pyrotechnics point of view, should be a 1/4" thick at minimum to prevent any schrapnal resulting from an accidental detonation of the device in question.

There was another thread on here a while back regarding accountability, and here we have a fine example of how people are still not wanting to be responsible for their own actions. They immediatly play the blame game and refuse to acknowledge any wrong doing.

For the kids sake, I'm glad a charity fund has been setup to help him, I remember being 16 and some of the things we did... well, we weren't saints, but this just goes to show that we, as a society, are still headed in the wrong direction.

Blaming something that was being used in a way other than intended and then blaming the consequences on the product is not logical. Do we really need safety lables that cater for every situation? If so, it would be logical to assume that if you blew your manhood off while attempting intercourse with a rifle, you should be compensated for your own stupidity and lack of common sense, as the manufacturer didn't specify that body parts were not intended for use inside the barrel.

I feel like I'm doing this -> but I would like other peoples opinions, why are we constantly running away rather than confronting things and dealing with the consequences? Why were things different even 20 years ago to what they are now?