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18,000 feet of fencing part of making D.C. 4th of July ready

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Independence Day is quickly approaching and people in the metropolitan area have different plans.

Becky May, 19, will be headed home to New Jersey for the summer holiday. May does not decorate or buy fireworks for the celebration.

While May is not a native Washingtonian, she “knows it’s hectic” on the National Mall and will be watching fireworks from a beach in New Jersey.

Nicole Narvaez is going to the National Mall to watch the fireworks display, which includes over 6,500 shells, according to the National Park Service.

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July 4 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Wayne Huang courtesy of Creative Commons)

The National Mall will be enclosed with over 18,000 linear feet of fencing and have 350 portable toilets to accommodate the thousands of people that attend the display each year.

Dominic Gatti, 20, thinks the Fourth of July is more of a celebration and party than anything else.

“I’m going to my frat party then probably to the Mall for fireworks,” said Gatti.

Narvaez “might be celebrating with friends,” and believes the holiday is about both celebration and remembrance.

Nadine Hallak plans to attend a barbecue with friends on the fourth. She will be watching the National Mall fireworks on television this year.

“We are not so into crowds,” Hallak said.

Drew Scheimer contributed to this report.

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Political divide defines July Fourth celebrations

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Widespread political division has many Washington, D.C. area residents and college students questioning the meaning of Independence Day this year and how protests should be handled.

American University students and employees interviewed Wednesday disagreed about the holiday’s meaning, saying it carries its own traditions no matter the year.

“Nostalgia,” said Stephanie Blenko, 19, speaking about Independence Day this year. “I’m away from home for the first time and the fireworks remind me of home.”

An American flag hangs at a retail shop in Tenleytown. By Gabriel Ferris.

With a nation that is politically divided, millennials said July Fourth means time with friends rather than time celebrating patriotism or the holiday’s deep symbolic meaning. Younger residents showed more resistance to the traditional patriotic interpretation, but some still said it’s a time to heal political divides.

“In the 1700’s, we came together and I think we can also come together now,” said Laurel Gupton, 19, of Essex Fells, New Jersey. “We are all still American.”

Still, Gupton and many others interviewed this week said planned protests or political dissent on the holiday were a reminder of America’s freedoms.

Mindy Ford, 45, said she is unhappy with the current administration, but vowed to celebrate July 4 and how the far the nation has come.

Still, some said protesting on the Fourth of July remains in stark contrast to what the Founding Fathers stood for.

“Protesting on the Fourth seems to be anti-patriotism; that’s my observation,” said Barry Jones, a 57-year-old independent voter.

Celebrating a holiday that commemorates America is a hard pill to swallow for some, especially those who still feel institutional racism is a problem.

A 2016 report published by the Pew Research Center said that 88 percent of blacks believe America still has steps to take to ensure equality for their race.

Carl Amritt, 22, of West Palm Beach, Florida, spoke about how political discord is affecting July Fourth this year. By Gabriel Ferris.

That will manifest itself in how people like 23-year-old Dekyan Dennis, who is black, will celebrate the Fourth of July.

“I will not be celebrating,” said Dennis, who said her boyfriend serves in the U.S. Army. “The flag represents equality and justice but our nation doesn’t embody these ideals.”

Although fireworks and large American flags are at the forefront of most July Fourth celebrations, what they symbolize is anything but concrete.

“July Fourth is about beliefs,” Blenko said.

 

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Fourth of July offers fun, but plenty of risks

Picnics, family reunions and BBQs are great ways to celebrate July 4, but the holiday carries the label of the most dangerous of the year, according to the National Safety Council.

Additionally, celebrations in big cities like Washington, D.C. strike fear into many tourists and residents in the wake of such high-profile terrorism incidents like the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013. The National Park Service on Fourth of July at the National Mall increased security screenings before allowing visitors inside.

“I haven’t felt as safe at big events like the celebration on the Mall recently as I have in the past considering what’s been happening worldwide,” said Katie Lenz, 24.

Even with what some see as a threat at major events like the National Mall Fourth of July celebration, fireworks and drunk driving over the holiday weekend are major threats, according National Safety Council.

In 2015, the National Safety Council estimated 409 traffic-related deaths and over 49,000 traffic-related injuries requiring medical attention over the holiday weekend.

The National Safety Council recommends drivers buckle up, reduce speed, refrain from cell phone use, keep small children in the back seat and avoid driving after drinking.

“During the 4th of July, I try to stay off the roads because I know how many accidents are gonna happen that night,” said Marisa Calderon, a 35-year-old mother of two.

Driving isn’t the only risk.

Over the July Fourth holiday, an average of 230 people every day will visit emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Almost one third of those injuries are to hands and fingers, but the Commission reported serious burns and eye injuries also happen.

 

 

 

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District residents and tourists had lots of different plans for July Fourth

People wait for the bus outside the Tenleytown Metro. Photo credit by Eli Siegman.
People wait for the bus outside the Tenleytown Metro. Photo credit by Eli Siegman.

Residents of and tourists to Northwest Washington, D.C. had different plans for Independence Day but everyone was excited to celebrate the nation’s 240th birthday.

Some viewed it as a day off, while others saw it as an opportunity to make a difference.

Beth Morgan, 53, thinks July 4 is a very important holiday for Americans. She was planning on spending it at home in New Jersey with her family.

“I think a majority of people view it as a day not to go to work,” Morgan said.

Morgan not only believed that it was an important holiday but it was also a fun one. When asked if it was her favorite holiday, she said it was “in her top three.”

Terry Baugh, 55, waited at a Tenleytown bus stop, and when asked about July Fourth her face immediately lit up.

“It’s more exciting here, fabulous neighborhoods,” Baugh said.

Baugh planned to help with a fundraiser for an organization called “KidSave,” which helps pre-teen orphans and those in foster care find mentors or even permanent homes. Baugh said that on the Fourth of July KidSave hosted an event at Arlington National Cemetery that viewed fireworks while it helped raise money for KidSave.

When asked if people in Washington celebrate it differently because they were in the nation’s Capital Baugh said, “People in Washington care a lot about this country.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Do Americans appreciate the Fourth of July?

Fireworks explode over the National Mall in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
Fireworks explode over the National Mall in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

In the days before the Fourth of July, many Americans begin to gear up for the celebration which this year marked the 239th anniversary of America’s independence.

Whether it’s eating hamburgers or seeing a fireworks show, many Americans like to party on the special day.

“It’s definitely a focal point of the summer,” said Chris Morgan, 25, from Gaithersburg, Maryland.

As of July 2, Morgan planned to party with his friends, one of which will be meeting him in Pennsylvania with his fellow hikers from the Appalachian Trail. Morgan has many Fourth of July memories from previous years as well, including a glow-stick party in his neighbor’s pool and a firework show over Camden Yards in Baltimore.

There’s no doubt that Americans do their share of partying on the Fourth of July. But is this partying aimed towards the right cause? Is there appropriate reverence for the actions of America’s forefathers?

Buddy Bonner, 48, said the answer is “no.”

“I think we got a gross departure from appreciation with what our freedoms are,” Bonner said. “It’s more than likely just viewed as another day off from work.”

Bonner even admitted that he might be one of those people who does not hold the Fourth of July in high enough regard.

For some, the lack of appreciation of the Fourth of July is rooted in a lack of education.

“What happened exactly only the Fourth of July?” said Kevin Quinto, a 16-year-old from North Carolina. “If you asked 10 people at least five of them wouldn’t know.”

For Francesca Coyne, 18, of Pennsylvania, the holiday brings people together.

“Its really cool to see everybody get together and appreciate something,” Coyne said.

“It’s very rare that you can get a group silent and appreciate something,” Coyne later said.

Marsel Ganeycv, 18, an international student, said the Fourth of July is a worthy celebration for the independence of the country.

“I have a t-shirt with stars and people say ‘I have the same t-shirt,'” Ganeycv said. “They’re all so friendly.”

Like Coyne, Ganeycv sees the holiday as a way to bring people together.

“When you see the fireworks, something is happening in your soul,” Ganeycv said. “You feel that you’re apart of the whole crowd.”