By Molly Freedenberg
A few years ago, a friend of mine lost most of his fingers when a firecracker went off in his right hand. Having gone to his house just minutes after the accident (and therefore seen the gory aftermath), it was hard to imagine a more gruesome, traumatic accident. And knowing he was a right-handed graphic designer, it was hard to imagine one more tragic.
Of course, that is, until I heard about the accident that befell Roisin Isner, drummer for the San Francisco band Tinkture. According to an email being circulated by her father, the poor girl lost her hand at Dolores Park yesterday when someone threw an M60 at Roisin and her friends. The M60 landed on Roisin’s right hand and blew it apart.
Says her dad, Chris, “She will undergo surgery later this morning but it doesn't look good. Most likely she will lose her index finger; second and third fingers will also be permanently impaired and disfigured. Needless to say, her musical career is over.”
Now, losing your hand is losing your hand. And, to put it way too mildly, no matter how it happens, that sucks. But at least my friend’s accident was the result of his own actions. He knew he was taking a risk by lighting off firecrackers. I highly doubt that Roisin thought to herself, as she joined her friends to watch fireworks in the park, “I’m putting myself in danger, and I’m ready to accept those consequences.” The fact that this girl’s life and career may be changed forever because of something completely out of her control just breaks my heart.
This incident also adds to my existing ambivalence about fireworks in general. Ever since I realized the light and sound displays are meant to simulate bombs, I’ve had mixed feelings about them. Yes, they’re purrty. They also represent violence and death, and, on Independence Day, our ability to inflict both on our enemies.
And now I’m reminded again that they’re just damned dangerous – and not only for the professionals who put on those dazzling displays. While also in Dolores Park yesterday, I watched an amateur on a blanket nearby shooting a Roman Candle into the crowd. Clearly surprised by its power, he didn’t seem to know how to use, or put out, the device safely. Instead, he shot sparks every which way, and finally tried to put it out by sticking its tip in the dirt.
It’s a classic “you’ll shoot your eye out,” scenario. Except that in this case, the offender might shoot someone else’s eye out. Or someone else’s hand off.
I can only hope that Roisin heals well and quickly, and that she’s still able to play the drums. Cuz that girl’s gonna have some legitimate anger and rage and trauma to express, and if she can’t do it through her chosen method of expression, that’ll be the saddest part of all.
If you have information about who shot the M60, contact Chris Isner at chrisisner@hotmail.com.
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Comments (1)
Contributor K. Tighe e-mailed me around the same time Molly posted her entry - here's her take on the tragedy:
It's been a tradition for years: when night starts to settle on the
Fourth of July, the hipster sect - flush with musicians, writers, and
artists of all mediums -gather on the hills of Dolores Park. The
location is ideal for viewing the city-sanctioned fireworks, downing a few PBRs with friends, and avoiding the congestion of the more
conventional crowds downtown. Every once in a while, someone will
attempt to ignite an amateur pyrotechnic display within the park, and the crowd, being the self-governing body that it is, will always
disperse it.
That is, until last night.
Despite the heightened police presence and promises to reign in the
use of illegal fireworks during this year's Independence Day
celebrations, 16-year-old Roisin Isner left Dolores Park last night with her hand in pieces.
Isner, who is the drummer for San Francisco punk rock group, Tinkture,
decided to take in the fireworks at Dolores Park with her friends. Someone in the crowd threw an M60 at her group, and it landed on Roisin's right hand.
The band, formed when the girls were still in middle school, has achieved the level of success so many local bands dream of. With the help of Manuel Fernandez and the Midnight Music Program back in 2002,
Tinkture took swift and focused form. Fernandez gave the girls a place
to practice, showed them the basics of their instruments, and the rest
unraveled into an irreverently rhythmic and wonderfully adolescent
piece of Bay Area music history.
It seems that the musical career of Roisin Isner, which began so early, ended last night. Her family is offering a substantial reward
for information on the person responsible for ending it.
There has been a lot of talk this week from Bay Area leaders about
the issue of illegal fireworks. Some cited the dry spring as a reason
to be extra careful, and San Jose went so far as to establish a fireworks hotline. Even the governor got in on the movement from a Monday news conference in Sacramento, saying "We want to make sure people obey the fire laws at all times. I personally would recommend
the people never use fireworks because you never know what can
happen," said Schwarzenegger.
The City of Oakland decided it would be easier to just ban all fireworks -legal or otherwise - and wondered whether or not its
decision to cancel the official pyrotechnics show would result in more
illegal displays. The officers who would normally work crowd control
took to the streets and confiscated between 2,500 and 3,000 illegal
devices, and arrested more than 80 people, including the 35-year-old man
who claimed to be playing with fireworks but was actually playing with
chemicals inside of his methamphetamine lab. Forty percent of that
man's body is now covered in third-degree burns.
Posted by Kimberly Chun | July 5, 2007 08:04 PM