City of Orlando Apologizes for Message Critical of Independence Day

Brittany Bernstein
·2 min read
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The City of Orlando, Fla., issued an apology on Saturday after it suggested in its weekly newsletter that people may not want to celebrate the Fourth of July this year because the country is in “strife.”

“A lot of people probably don’t want to celebrate our nation right now, and we can’t blame them,” Orlando’s City News read on Friday. “When there is so much division, hate and unrest, why on earth would you want to have a party celebrating any of it?”

“But in all seriousness, you know in your heart, Fourth of July fireworks are amazing, especially when you are standing in 90° heat, 100% humidity, next to 100,000 of your closest friends,” the newsletter added. “In that moment, something takes over and we all become united in an inexplicable bond. Yes, America is in strife right now, but you know what…we already bought the fireworks.”

After the newsletter sparked backlash, the city apologized saying it “sincerely regrets” the newsletter’s “negative impact.”

“We understand these words offended some of our residents, which was not our intent,” the city said. “We value the freedoms we have in this country and are thankful to the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for those. We take pride in celebrating the 4th of July to express our gratitude to those men and women and honor the country we live in.”

A spokesperson for Florida governor Ron DeSantis was critical of both the message and the apology on Sunday.

“Oh, here we go,” spokeswoman Christina Pushaw wrote in a tweet on Sunday. “The City of Orlando apologizes if you were offended by their attack on 4th of July. This is what happens when you elect Democrats, you guys… they do not have the same view of America as we do.”

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