Opinion: Vice Mayor James Mai Wants a Corporate-Sponsored Fourth of July Extravaganza. Is This the Best Way to Celebrate the Declaration of Independence? 

  • February 24, 2025, 9:59 am America/Los_Angeles

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”  —Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

“As a proud member of the Irvine community, I believe we should come together to celebrate the United States of America and all that our nation represents. Irvine is more than just a city within the U.S.–our story is a testament to the American dream where people from all backgrounds have come together uniting to create a truly special place.

“That’s why I’m calling for July 4, 2025, to be the inaugural Irvine City Wide July 4th Independence Day Celebration–an event that will bring our entire community together and serve as a lasting tradition for years to come.” –Vice Mayor James Mai memo to City Manager, February 13, 2025

Vice Mayor Mai’s Proposal

The Vice Mayor has placed on Tuesday’s City Council agenda Item 4.4, a proposal to develop a comprehensive plan for “a grand Fourth of July celebration event.” His memo envisions a corporate-sponsored extravaganza that “could include”:

  • A citywide parade featuring floats local high school marching bands and community organizations.
  • Live music and entertainment for all ages.
  • A variety of food options with a special focus on BBQ possibly including a BBQ cook off competition.
  • A fireworks display to cap off the night and commemorate this new tradition in spectacular fashion (on a grand scale).

While the Vice Mayor’s enthusiasm for celebrating Independence Day is commendable, Irvine residents may reasonably ask whether his vision of the celebration is the best way to go. A city-wide parade requires a great deal of planning and organization, especially the first time. It would require careful deliberation and legal guidance as to which groups are eligible to participate and which are not—a potentially controversial issue with First Amendment implications. It seems doubtful that four months is sufficient time to do all that needs to be done to properly plan, organize, and stage such an event. Even if possible, such an intensive effort would place a major burden on City staff at the expense of important city needs. Moreover, Independence Day parades are already established traditions in nearby cities with central downtown areas more conducive to such events. In particular, Huntington Beach has a big, televised parade that attracts visitors from near and far. Does it make sense for Irvine to try to compete with that?

A “spectacular” fireworks display (“on a grand scale”)? It’s important to recall that it is an established Irvine tradition for the Pacific Symphony to perform an Independence Day pops concert, including a fireworks show, at the Great Park. Last year, the Symphony performed the music of the band Chicago. In 2022, they featured the music of Queen, and in 2023, they focused on the Beatles. These concerts have been very well attended, and residents from miles around are able to enjoy the fireworks without paying for a concert ticket. It seems wasteful and counterproductive for the City to produce its own fireworks show in competition with the Pacific Symphony. Moreover, many residents express well-founded concerns about the noise, pollution, and fire hazards fireworks entail, as well as the terror they induce in family pets. Should the response to these concerns be even more fireworks?

Let’s Focus on What We’re Celebrating

What would an appropriate Independence Day celebration look like? I think it ought to be focused on what it is we’re celebrating. The Declaration of Independence is, among other things, a pioneering proclamation of human rights (albeit a flawed one focused on the rights of white men, with some glaringly racist passages). It not only proclaimed fundamental, unalienable rights, but set forth a long list of grievances against King George III, specifying how he had violated those rights. Space does not permit quoting that bill of particulars in its entirety, but many residents may find that some of the grievances have renewed resonance today. For example:

  • He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. …
  • He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither ….
  • He has obstructed the Administration of Justice . …
  • He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance….
  • He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us ….

The Declaration followed the enumeration of grievances with this damning indictment: “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

The Declaration concluded with this heroic resolution:

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, … do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved …. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

An appropriate Independence Day Celebration in Irvine should be centered clearly on the language, meaning, and contemporary relevance of the Declaration of Independence. We don’t need a parade or more fireworks. What we need is large public assembly featuring elements such as these:

  • High school bands playing the National Anthem and other patriotic songs.
  • Students reading key passages from the Declaration.
  • Speakers (perhaps a panel of UCI law, history, and government faculty and/or civil liberties advocates) discussing the meaning and significance of the Declaration.

Following the formal program, we could have a great community picnic with a variety of food, as suggested by Mai. (Given his stated goal of unity, it must be noted that a barbeque competition would tend to exclude members of the community with certain dietary restrictions. To the extent competition is desired, an Independence Day essay contest might be more on point.)

The day’s events would conclude with the Pacific Symphony’s traditional concert and fireworks show, but this could certainly be supplemented with a variety of live music earlier in the day, in keeping with Mai’s suggestion.

Such an appropriate, patriotic observance should not be expensive to produce, and the City should have the necessary resources within its budget. Corporate sponsorship of such an event would be fundamentally inappropriate. After being inspired by a high school student reciting “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor,” the last thing we need to hear is a disembodied voice announcing, “this Declaration is brought to you by the Irvine Company, FivePoint, and Live Nation.”

 

Make Your Voice Heard

Mai’s proposal is the final item on Tuesday’s agenda, which is somewhat shorter than usual, so it should come up fairly early in the evening. As always, public comments may be made in person, via Zoom, and/or in writing. Instructions are here.