STAFF REPORT
According to Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, early this afternoon Mayor Craig Fletcher sent an email to Larry Resiman, the Press Journal’s editorial page editor, asking that his apology for controversial statements made at the June 4 City Council meeting be communicated to the public. “I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to anyone whom I may have offended by my remarks last Tuesday at the City Council meeting. It was a horrific statement and on reflection was way out of place for an elected official to take such a stance. I hope everyone will find it in their heart to forgive me,” Fletcher wrote.
Fletcher’s apology comes one day after he insisted that he would stand by his right to not support proclamations from non-Christian groups.
Approximately twenty local ministers met late this morning to discuss the controversy over statements made by Mayor Craig Fletcher and Vice Mayor Tracy Carroll in the June 4 City Council meeting. Both Carroll and Fletcher refused to support a resolution acknowledging Humanist Recognition Week. Carroll accused humanists of being “atheists.” Fletcher said he could not support a resolution for a group that does not “believe Jesus Christ is their savior.”
After watching a video of the controversial comments made by Carroll and Fletcher at the June 4 City Council meeting, and following some discussion, local religious leaders decided to issue a statement objecting to the Mayor’s and Vice Mayor’s public comments, which seemed to many to be divisive. According to one source who attended the closed meeting, members of the ministerial association will have until noon Wednesday to sign the statement, at which time it will be sent to the City Clerk and released to the public.
Indian River Guardian 
This is an indication that those in our religious community are true leaders.
I agree Pat. It is especially important that they see other religious leaders showing their open mindedness about all faiths and belief systems.
Be a man, Mr. Mayor. Pick up the phone and call Mr. Katrovitz and ask to meet him face to face so you can apologize like a gentleman.
“to anyone whom I may have offended” —- Makes me wish I could put my hands on that article I read recently about how to give a healing apology. This isn’t the way. “Anyone” and “may have” are escape hatches, indicating that the speaker thinks it is entirely possible that no one was offended, and if anyone was it was entirely by accident. It is like, “I’m sorry if I made you mad.” You KNOW you made me mad, that’s why we’re having this conversation. You are sorry that I am mad, because clearly that is a problem for you, but you aren’t sorry that you (name the action here). This is a political face-saving apology. We’re looking for something along the lines of “Although I am personally strongly opposed to Humanism, I recognize that by accepting mayoral responsibilities, I accepted the obligation to uphold principles that reach beyond my personal faith. I was wrong to suggest that I would support proclamations only for those groups who share my beliefs. My clarity on the boundary between private and public has been sharpened, and this mistake won’t happen again. Please accept my apology for the consternation I caused and my gratitude for helping me become a better mayor. “
Vickie Watt is correct on all points.
Exactly Vickie. And the fact that he took so long to say it even after he made another statement saying he was not going to apologize is just proof that they only reason he is apologizing is to save his political backside. There should have been some logic to his apology in the apology itself to make it real. It is like when your kids tell you their sorry but you ask why they are sorry for hitting their little brother and they say because they don’t want you to be mad at them anymore, not that they should not bean their sibling on the head…lol. This is just so transparently back pedaling it is a waste of time to consider it an apology at all.
Laughing so much! There’s nothing I like better than being called “correct on all points.: 😉
I agree. Even “I get it now,” would have worked. “I’m sorry if,” and “I’m sorry, but” = apology shams.
As long as everyone keeps pounding on Fletcher, Tracy Carroll walks free. After watching the tape again, I have come to realize that Councilwoman Carroll was the one who was very rude and antagonistic to Mr. Katrovitz during the proclamation ceremony. She too should apologize to Katrovitz. Makes me think she was rude to him because she had an ax to grind with his wife. It is well known in the community that Mrs. Katrovitz has had a strong voice against the Tracy Carroll position regarding the sale of Vero Electric to FPL.Oh well, maybe I am imagining this but I cannot help but feel there was a motive to the Carroll outburst.
Not only was Vice Mayor Carroll rude to Mr. Katrovitz, she either had her facts wrong, or she was being dishonest. Carroll claimed the Humanists of the Treasure Coast opposed a resolution for Thanksgiving. Well, there was no such resolution. The resolution in question was for Christian Heritage Week, and that the Humanist group did not oppose. What they took exception to was the sponsorship of the Christian Heritage Week proclamation by the American Family Association, and ultra-right wing, hyper-evangelical group labeled by the Southern Law Poverty Center as a hate group.
AFTER WATCHING A FEW MOMENTS OF THE JODY ARIAS TRIAL I AM CONVINCED THAT THE MURDER OF HER BOYFRIEND WAS INDEED PRE-MEDITATED. I AM NOT SAYING THAT I AM AN EXPERT ON LIBEL OR THAT I COULD EVEN MATCH WITS WITH A LIE DETECTOR TESTING MACHINE, I DO FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE MAYOR AND TRACY CAROLL’S RESPONSE TO REFUSE TO SUPPORT A PROLAIMATION FOR HUMANIST RECOGNITION WEEK WAS BIGOTED AND DEFINITELY PRE-MEDITATED. IF NOT FOR THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL BEING LEVEL HEADED AND APPROVING THIS PROCLAIMATION THE CITY OF VERO BEACH WOULD HAVE BEEN SINGLED OUT AS A “BIGOTED CITY” AND A PLACE TO STAY AWAY FROM! THIS IS TOO BIG AN ISSUE TO IGNORE, LIKE JODI ARIAS A WELL KNOW LIAR, THIS APOLIGY AFTER THE FACT IS JUST A FABRICATION AND SMOKE SCREEN TO COVER THEIR BIGOTED WAYS FULL WELL REALIZING THAT THEIR POLITICAL CAREERS ARE NOW ON THE LINE!
Lying in bed this morning, it occurred to me (light bulb moment) that just about every ethnic group throughout history has been recipients of some persecution. And then they may have also dished it out. So, if the shoe is on the other foot, think of how Christians might feel if all five City Council people were Sun Worshippers–some of whom refused to back a proclamation for the Christians. “I will not support any proclamation from any group who does not worship the Sun.” How bent out of shape would Christians be….along with their brothers and sisters of other faiths. One thing I think we can reasonably say is without the Sun, we wouldn’t survive. Coexisting on this planet surely is better than constantly being at odds with one another. I think the God I grew up believing in would be very disappointed in the way his human creations sometimes choose to use (or not) the brain power bestowed upon them.
So how is their objection any different than Fletcher’s? Although Fletcher could have been much more polite in announcing his personal objection and simply passed the duty down the line to another member to sign the procuration. Then he could have avoided the dishonesty of the apology
The difference has to do with position. When citizens redresses government, they are understandably representing their own interests. As a private citizen, Craig Fletcher is free to promote his own religious views and to thump any bible he wants, perhaps even the “Shooters Bible.” (There really is such a book.) In his capacity as mayor and as a member of the city council, Fletcher is, first and foremost, responsible for upholding his oath of office and for abiding by the Constitution of the State of Florida, and, by extension, the U.S. Constitution.