Ask Mr. Answer Person: "When will store owners be arrested for selling fire pits?"

(Jim was paying attention the other day when decorahnews.com posted a story http://www.decorahnews.com/news-stories/2015/06/11040.html about the Decorah City Council's discussion of how fire pits are illegal in Decorah.  That led him to ask the question, ""When will the police start charging all the store owners that are selling backyard fireplaces for distributing illegal contraband? I understand 30 days in jail is the sentence.")

Mr. Answer Person says: "Ah, Jim, you have missed an important distinction!  The law is full of such distinctions--you can possess fireworks, you just can't set them off; you can have an unopened container of alcohol in your car, but not an opened one.

The distinction here is that it's not illegal to SELL firepits--after all, the firepits could be purchased by people living outside of Decorah.  No, it's illegal to USE firepits.  That is, unless the firepit is being used to roast marshmallows or cook hot dogs or is being used at the Decorah Campground.

See--it all makes sense now!