New Year's day is near us. We've had a year in which for each of us wonderful things and bad things have come by. Soon, on New Year's Eve, we will gather and celebrate the coming of 2005 and wish it for the best. We'll party and dance and listen to music and watch fireworks.

Not in my case.

Too bad I won't be able to go outside after 10 pm. I won't be able to visit my friends in New Year's Eve. I won't hang out in the park with friends. I won't even be able to sit in the lawn and gaze at the sky.

Instead, I have to stay inside my house and go into some sort of hiding in which I sleep in the floor all night. No, there are no fireworks, no crackers, there are just bullets being shot in the sky. I can't go out because unfortunately, these bullets have hit, injured, and killed innocent people who were just trying to enjoy New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, people in my country have resulted to dangerous ways to celebrate the New Year festivities, and they always take victims.

Last year in my country, 8 people died from these shootings, 13 injured, and it was common to see bullets on New Year's day in your lawn, their marks in your fence, your car, you name it. And it's not just the people that were outside under no roof, people in cars have the bullets pass through the car roofs and the windows and they have died that way.

No matter what the government does, how many celebrities make ads on how people should stop using guns for celebrating, it never stops. Every year, the same thing. I wish me and my fellow Puerto Ricans could just go outside on New Year's Eve and not feel they may loose their life by celebrating that night outdoors.

So, I look at TV or just hear friends from other places talk about how they'll go to this park and watch beautiful fireworks to introduce the New Year, and all I know is the only fireworks I'll see and hear are bullets, and that I'll wake up and read the paper on how many people died from these shootings and how many got injured.

Thoughts? Comments? Anything?

Godd to hear that it's better than last year.

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Have they tried arresting people and imposing massive fines?

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Yep, but it's really hard to find the people who shoot the next day, so it barely works.

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But so far, most people here in the Philippines are just using fireworks, not guns or bullets.

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Here it's both, but bullets are more common.

Last night was kind of calmer than last year. I still haven't read the paper so I don't know the vctim number, but when I do I'll post it here.

Celtic, i know how you feel... in my country also (its always been like this) we celebrate New Year's eve by lighting up fireworks ourselves, not merely be one of the audience...It seems risky, but it is fun too. But i am glad to say, that we dont use guns or bullets as a means of noise in celebrating the New Year's eve, although there are some who really take it into their minds to use guns... But so far, most people here in the Philippines are just using fireworks, not guns or bullets.
I am also saddened by what you have said about your country. It is indeed heart-shattering to know that people use violent ways to celebrate something really nice and it is also very sad that even if they are celebrating, their means of celebrating the New Year is cruel, for it causes death.
I hope that there would be laws regarding the use of guns and bullets and proper authorities should see to it that these laws are followed. It is really disheartening to see that people are celebrating the coming of a new year, and yet there are many deaths already.

Have they tried arresting people and imposing massive fines?

Poor you, i really do feel sorry.

Right. Got it.

She's home in PR for christmas.

That stinks. But I thought you were in Russia this year...

It IS really unfortunate , unfortunately it IS a reality for a lot of people around the wall . But the thing is what would you celebrate even if you DID go out with your friends - the same violence , the same sense of insecurity , the same freedom-without-freedom deal in other words the same old year . I dont know how you are going to spend your new year but i wish you a really HAPPY NEW YEAR ( not trying to be sarcastic.)

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but it's unfair to pay for another one's mistakes.

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very true, unfortunatly people do it all the time through all of history.

good luck

Well, true, we ARE aware it can happen, but it's unfair to pay for another one's mistakes.

This is of the few complaints I have of Puerto Rico.

I feel bad that you cant enjoy New Years the way you want but I dont feel bad for people getting shot if everyone knows this thing is going down.