Thank Goodness They Have Gun Control

8/9/25 New York Times:

"About three times a night, in quiet and orderly streets across the Netherlands, residents are startled awake by a loud blast.

"Small explosions have become disturbingly familiar in a country better known for tulips and bicycles than violence. For Dutch people who pride themselves on levelheadedness, the blasts, usually caused by illegal fireworks with the strength of a grenade, have created a sense of unease....

"For years, the blasts had been linked to organized crime and drug traffickers using hand grenades to settle scores. Law enforcement officials say that others have recently mimicked the tactic, using black-market fireworks to target people in family disputes, relationship quarrels and business rivalries.

“It’s been normalized, but it is not normal,” said Jonathan Lindenkamp, who was hired as a temporary security guard at the building in Duivendrecht after the July 12 blast, in which the authorities have yet to make an arrest or ascribe a motive."