What we don't see

Because of her experiences growing up around military conflict, a friend of mine becomes very agitated by loud and sudden noises. A low-flying plane can be terrifying. Fireworks inspire anxiety. Many veterans experience similar reactions, whether or not they've been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Sitting in my room, hearing but not seeing the fireworks outside, I understand a little bit more now the anxiety these sounds can cause. There's something about sound alone that is evocative in a way that sound and light together sometimes are not. Sound feels intimate. Loud noise, therefore, is especially intrusive. It's extremely hard to get away from a loud noise. Covering your ears is almost never as easy or effective as closing your eyes. Getting inside or behind a building doesn't shield you from a loud noise. Even one that's far away. A disturbing image can be blocked by something as thin as a piece of cloth (or your eyelids). A disturbing sound can seem impossible to hide. It's why babies cry. It's why wolves howl. It's why terrified people scream.

Oregon Public Radio asks if fireworks should be cancelled to help those with PTSD on the fourth of July. For some commenters, apparently, this is inconceivable. In fact, the first commenter has some advice:

But we can't change everything in the world to accommodate a few. There will always be loud noises and they need to get desensitized to them.

Everything in the world? Apparently some confuse the spectacle of fireworks with what they are ostensibly meant to celebrate - self-determination, resistance to monarchy, and government responsive to the demands and needs of its people.

Photo: Loud Noises by nukeit1