Fireworks Fizzer

A few years ago, I had this letter published in The Silly:

On New Year's Eve I watched the fireworks from a public vantage point. I saw backpackers sending text messages to their friends urging them to come to Sydney. That is, the few million dollars spent on the event will result in many millions worth of tourism.

Yet every year there are letters from people insisting we cancel the fireworks because of (take your pick) global warming, war, poverty, bushfires or the expense.

I saw young children amazed, I saw grown-ups holding hands and I saw thousands of Australians having a fantastic time. It really takes a special kind of killjoy to want to cancel that.

The editor replaced the word "arsehole" with killjoy. Arsehole.

This year, The Australian's letters page ran this rather poorly written whinge:

Millions have been blown on fireworks to pander to the affluent. Think how many Somali children could have been saved with that.

Rob Ryan, Atherton, Qld

You can save Somali children with fireworks? Cool!