No Sparklers for these people

Whether because of crowds, politics, or a loss of patriotism, some Americans are reluctant to celebrate July 4.

Growing up in Benton, Ark., Malaya Tapp loved celebrating the 4th of July with her family. "We would go to parades and watch fireworks shows and hang out with friends," she said. "It was always a fun vacation."

But now that she's an adult - she's 18 and will start college next year - commemorating the vacation is not so simple.

It all started in 2020 when the Black Lives Matter movement brought to light many injustices across the country. "I lost a lot of my patriotic feelings," she said.

Mrs. Tapp, who now lives in Atlanta, also realized that many of the festive elements of the 4th of July didn't appeal to him.

There are the fireworks. "It's hard to tell the difference between guns and fireworks, and here there's always something on the news about a shooting or something, so that makes me nervous," said- she declared. “They are also bad for the environment. They release a lot of toxic chemicals."

This year she is skipping the holidays altogether, opting instead to travel with his church youth group to visit a Navajo Nation community in Arizona, but the trip was canceled due to a Covid outbreak.

Some Americans, especially younger people, are wondering if they want to celebrate Independence Day. A YouGov survey found that 56% of American adults plan to attend Independence Day. festivities this year.

Of course, many people, including celebrities, continue to join in the festivities in the patriotic spirit. Demi Lovato, Post Malone and Sheryl Crow are among of the many artists performing on CNN's 4th of July special Ja Rule performs live at Coney Island as part of an Independence Day celebration.

Marissa Vivori, 29, a Manhattan tech product manager, remembers the last time she celebrated July 4, a few summers ago. She was heading to the Hamptons, she said, on the busiest Long Island Rail Road train she had ever ridden. "I didn't get a seat and I was standing in the aisle," she said, "and the toilet overflowed, and we all had to hold our bags."

She realized she never liked vacations. “I remember even as a kid feeling bad for the animals during the fireworks,” she said.

Logistically, celebrating in New York is challenging. “Either you're in Manhattan, and it's super hot, and you wonder where you're watching the fireworks. Or you try to leave for the Jersey Shore or the Hamptons, and it's makeshift and overcrowded,” Ms. Vivori said. policies with holidays. "Last summer, Roe v. Wade got canceled, and that really made me less inclined to celebrate," she said.

Even though she wanted to celebrate, she would worry about the message he sent.

So this year, she's completely leaving American soil and heading to Italy and Great Britain instead. "I'll be in London for the real Fourth," she laughed. "The irony is not lost on me."

Allison Bartella, 30, a Brooklyn publicist, finally says no to a vacation she didn't have ever loved.

"I feel like it's a bit like the New Year's Eve of summer," she said. "Expectations are high...