Human nature and response to prohibitions

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Jaco1234

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I've been thinking about this from a human behavior standpoint.
Every Fourth of July, thousands of illegal mortar fireworks go off across Virginia. They're not legally sold here, yet people still get them. During Prohibition, banning alcohol didn't eliminate demand—it created moonshine and bootlegging.
I'm not saying fireworks, alcohol, and firearms are the same. They're not.
My point is simpler: laws don't automatically eliminate demand. When people strongly want something, many will buy it before a ban, get it elsewhere, or ignore the law if they believe enforcement is unlikely.
It seems that any serious discussion about firearm bans should consider not only what the law says, but also how people actually behave.
 
Jaco is almost 100% correct...Alcohol, (and the impending threat of NO alcohol), or firearms, (and the threat of NO firearms), are much the same.

The same can be also said about pre-ban gas cans, aftermarket chips for your car and incandescent light bulbs...When authoritarians attempt to ban anything, it automatically creates a market for these items that didn't exist in that quantity even the day before. That's what they don't understand....When attempt to force "subjects" into anything, there is always resistance.

Bans only work with very compliant subjects and even then usually there is an underground network of people with these items for sale or trade....THAT is human nature and it applies in even the most totalitarian regimes under the threat of death.
 
Growing up in Central NY '60s, my brother in law had connections in NYC for illegal fireworks. Brought bags of everything explosive.

At the lake we tied together a bunch of M80s and blew a big hole in the dock.🤣
 
On fireworks. I find it hilarious that any government in the USA wants to try to control how we celebrate the 4th of July. The anniversary of when we told an overbearing government to stick it where the sun don't shine.

My dad was smart enough to know we would mess with things that went bang, so he educated us, both in how to make big bangs and how to do it safely. Those hard cardboard centers from adding machine tapes and the like made excellent containers for SHORT TERM STORAGE of fast powder
 
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MelvinWalker said:
Jaco is almost 100% correct...Alcohol, (and the impending threat of NO alcohol), or firearms, (and the threat of NO firearms), are much the same.
Click to expand...
Where? Is Florida thinking of banning alcohol?? I seriously doubt another prohibition is coming. (Hopefully the lessons learned from past attempts will show it’s fruitless.) [and yes, that was a pun]
 
Yes, we learned so much from prohibition, We saw how criminal gangs would fill the void, alcohol would become more valuable and how people who ordinarily obeyed laws would learn to ignore them.

In fact it worked so well the government decided to use it on drugs and surprise, surprise, surprise they got exactly the same results.
 
Regarding any prohibitions, people will find ways around them. Think bathtub gin and 3-D printed guns.
For the 4th, I've found that a balloon filled with acetylene with a cannon fuse taped to it makes a respectable boom. Just acetylene makes a satisfying 'WHUMP!' that rattles windows; tuning it by adding oxygen gives it a sharper bang.
It just occurred to me that I could be a musician for the 1812 Overture...
 
Ross Perot's fireworks displays on July 4th in Dallas (long since gone) always ended with the 1812 Overture as the finale of fireworks erupted.

Back in the day, I said, disgustedly, "If there is a war on drugs, why isn't the ocean running red with blood?"

In 2025/26, I see that someone has figured that out!

1783548909061.webp
 
steelslaver said:
On fireworks. I find it hilarious that any government in the USA wants to try to control how we celebrate the 4th of July.
Click to expand...

On one hand, I agree. On the other hand, living in "Central Denver" (vs "Central Montana") having flaming debris raining down on your parched dry yard at 2am in a state that's smoke-choked with forest fires does get a bit old.

steelslaver said:
My dad was smart enough to know we would mess with things that went bang, so he educated us, both in how to make big bangs and how to do it safely.
Click to expand...

Your daddy was smart, I wish all were equally so.
 
quinine said:
On one hand, I agree. On the other hand, living in "Central Denver" (vs "Central Montana") having flaming debris raining down on your parched dry yard at 2am in a state that's smoke-choked with forest fires does get a bit old.
Click to expand...
And there are many people who only have one hand due to fireworks, so they can't go to the other hand . . .
 
History shows that prohibitions do not work'
The government's war on drugs just like the Vietnam war is failure.
They did not listen to Westmoreland or Abrams on how to fight that war so we lost.
They do not know how to fight the war on drugs so it will never end.
I can't even begin to tell you how many different ways drugs are being brought into the USA.
They know most of them but can't stop it due to lack of resources.
The only way is to put the dealers and the cartel's out of business.
There is only one way to do that but that also will never happen.
Some things in life are just true and we all have to live with it.
 
I sat on the driveway, neighbors spent more $$$ on their stuff than the city. So much smoke couldn't see across the street. I grew up making Grappa with a basement still, great in coffee, regardless of prohibition. In High Schoool and college (over 50 years ago) "retailing consumables" were big business and nobody got shot or went to jail. Nobody minds their own business anymore but criticize everyone else for the "slightest perceived infraction" whether real or imagined. Sad commentary, indeed. Joe
 
steelslaver said:
On fireworks. I find it hilarious that any government in the USA wants to try to control how we celebrate the 4th of July. The anniversary of when we told an overbearing government to stick it where the sun don't shine.
Click to expand...
Especially when one state makes home fireworks a "call 911" event and the other states have tents all over the place. One prime example of that is directly on the Alabama state line is a HUGE store visible from the interstate called "TENNESSEE ALABAMA FIREWORKS".

This is for all of the poor folks travelling on the interstate to their northern hellholes to be able to buy some of those felonious boomsticks and roman candles.
 
MelvinWalker said:
This is for all of the poor folks travelling on the interstate to their northern hellholes to be able to buy some of those felonious boomsticks and roman candles.
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I can buy all I want right here where they are legal, no need for me to travel to a southern hellhole like Southern New York (Florida) for anything.
 
I don’t care when people die from street drugs. I wish they didn’t save anyone with narcan. One less non contributing member of society, one less ****ty parent that neglects their kid. Giving free. Needles to druggies, dumb idea. I’m sure the dealers love it.
 
At this time of year Vermont is about perfect as opposed to local weather; forecast: “High of 97 with 97% humidity for the next 97 days. Random violent ****storms possible 4pm any day……….” Joe.
 
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