City of Orlando addresses 4th of July newsletter controversy
A spokesperson for the City of Orlando said disciplinary measures have been enacted, and new approval processes are in place after a newsletter advertising the Fireworks at the Fountain Fourth of July event sparked some controversy.
The newsletter was sent to residents on July 1 and immediately drew nationwide attention.
"A lot of people probably don’t want to celebrate our nation right now, and we can’t blame them. When there is so much division, hate and unrest, why on earth would you want to have a party celebrating any of it?"
The message went on to say, "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. At 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."
The message didn't go over well with many residents, prompting the city to issue an apology on July 2 on social media.
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"The City of Orlando sincerely regrets the negative impact our words have had on some in our community. We understand these words offended some of our residents, which was not our intent. 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."
FOX 35 News reached out to the city to get some clarity on who wrote the newsletter and the approval process. We also wanted to know if the issue had been addressed by city managers.
In a statement sent to FOX 35 a week after the newsletter was distributed, Doug Richards, the City of Orlando's Director of Community Engagement and Outreach, explained that the city's news email is distributed by the Office of Communications and Neighborhood Relations.
"Discipline has been issued," he explained. "Given that those involved have no prior disciplinary history and the email was sent as a responsibility of their job function, an oral censure was given."
He said a new approval process has been established in response to the incident.