I feel sorry for the poor kids that get injured because of this yearly spectacle. Out of control alcohol consumption + poor supervision = missing fingers.
Im not saying NOT to be patriotic, but i would find that reading the constitution, exploring history (esp the history of civil rights),or having a lively yet sane debate on politics would be a far more patriotic activity. Better yet, the most patriotic thing you could do would be to go volunteer to do a highway or park cleanup, improve your community!
I totally agree with the OP about sounding like a battlefield. I personally hate loud noises and long for the quiet country life (I also work as a librarian).
