Posterboy for Stupid

Today's news story comes from Arizona, where all consumer fireworks are currently banned...

Fire officials battle bill that would OK consumer fireworks (link)

Ok, sounds like a typical news story on a proposal to allow consumer fireworks in a state...

After the series of explosions and after he finally forced his way out of the car, Matt Crosbie looked down and saw the skin peeling from his arms.

Flashes of smoke, flames and burned flesh followed just moments after Crosbie tried to launch mortar-like fireworks out the window of a moving car days before his high school graduation. One of the explosives he fired from a cardboard tube bounced back into the vehicle, igniting more fireworks and leaving the car engulfed in fire.

...

Crosbie, who recently joined firefighters recently to speak out against the bill, said he was inspired to serve as a burn-victim advocate after he rehabbed.

"I've had 30 surgeries, plenty of skin grafts," said Crosbie, now 23. "I guess you could say I'm scarred for life because of this."

Um...what? It is quite expected to have fire officials argue about this and a debate about legalizing consumer fireworks is totally appropriate, especially in a dry state like Arizona. But why would anyone (Crosbie included) think it was a good idea to trot Crosbie out to argue against it? What happened to him was unfortunate and clearly very painful, but it was his own damn fault and has no bearing on the issue. Unless his argument is "I am living proof that we are too stupid to use fireworks according to directions," then he should stay away from this debate.