SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday 3-2 in favor of an amended plan celebrating the United States' 250th birthday in a manner that will also reflect the county's diverse makeup and align with its values, according to the proponent.
Supervisors Paloma Aguirre, Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe voted in favor of amended plan, while their colleagues Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond -- who originally proposed the Independence Day fest -- voted no.
Anderson and Desmond wanted Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton to organize the Semiquincentennial celebration at the popular Waterfront Park that would feature video projections and vendors, although further details weren't provided.
Shelton would also work on sponsorships, including group donations.
Because it is home to a large concentration of veterans and military personnel, the county "is uniquely positioned to serve as a regional leader in commemorating this historic milestone," Anderson said after introducing the agenda item.
Celebrating the Declaration of Independence is "about forgetting our differences, providing an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrating our shared future," Anderson added.
Anderson added that numerous organizations, including the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, support holding a celebration.
Desmond said the county should be a local leader in celebrating the nation's big anniversary and work with partners to make the event memorable.
In response to Anderson's and Desmond's proposal, Aguirre offered two amendments, which according to her office:
-- clarifies sponsorships and donations by "establishing clear standards aligned with the county's Strategic Plan and values around inclusion and equity," to provide transparency and consistency, while also giving staff the needed flexibility for a successful July 4 event
-- allowing formal coordination with the county Office of Equity and Racial Justice and its tribal liaison, to ensure early public involvement and that the celebration reflects the county's racial and ethnic makeup
"If we're going to mark a national milestone, we have a responsibility to tell the truth about who built this country and why those lessons still matter, not just for history's sake but for the decisions we make today," Aguirre said.
Aguirre said immigrants -- including those worked in the fields, served in uniform and taught children -- played a major role in developing the nation, which "was also built on the backs of enslaved people who were beaten and brutalized for hundreds of years."
"This is an effort to be more inclusive," she added.
Montgomery Steppe said it was it was important to acknowledge the 250th anniversary, but also the less pleasant side of U.S. history.
"I love my country, but right now, I am reminded every single day about the complexity of us being able to come together," Montgomery Steppe said, noting that some of the Founding Fathers owned slaves.
"This is a land of opportunity," she added. "But we have to tell the full truth."
Desmond said he could not support Aguirre's proposals.
"We should not be excluding people that have different thoughts or ideas," he said. "We're all Americans."
It was possible to have a theme that states "We're not perfect, but we can still work it," Desmond also said.
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