I hate them too. They make me jump, they scare animals, they are noisy and pointless. Any thing that scares animals that much can not be seen as good, its disrespectful to the animals! And also, they are a pain when you live in a city! I have been at my dads in the city for the past week and nearly every night they have been going off. I actually loath this time of the year due to the fact fire works are going off. They go off late at night too, after 10-11pm, which shouldn't be allowed due to people trying to sleep, especially kids!
edit: I was going to make this thread but I got beaten too it!