To the Editor:
March 29 is a chance for the East Haddam community, and its neighbors up and down and across the river from towns such as Lyme, Old Lyme, East Lyme and Old Saybrook, to see and meet one another, and recall the important bonds we share as citizens in this great and privileged nation.
Most Americans— whether they trace their roots back centuries or were only recently naturalized— share the belief that our government exists to enhance and increase our human potential. Government keeps us safe and healthy, promotes shared values and ideas, builds our schools and roads. At its core, our American government is the caretaker that ensures a culture of freedom and opportunity in which We The People thrive, each generation stronger than the one that came before. In turn, we as citizens pledge our allegiance to that common cause, from coast to coast and across the many hues of our great diversity. We commit to building a more perfect union. E pluribus unum.
The present moment has many of us feeling disoriented. All of a sudden, almost overnight, the relationship between We The People and our government has gone from being one of informed consent and pride, to one that is adversarial and hostile and at odds with America’s founding principles. Under the guise of much-needed change and disruption, each day instead brings acts of strategic destruction. We are witnessing the building blocks of our democracy being torn asunder.
Since the election, the Republican party has coalesced behind bad actors and has rendered our common cause blurry and uncertain. Effectively, they are normalizing fascism in America, promoting ideas and policy that run directly counter to the Founders’ intents: tax the poor, degrade women, privilege the rich, curtail education, punish free speech, break treaties, foment war, reward incompetence, deny our history. Drill, baby, drill. The list of un-Americanisms goes on and on, and insults the country’s proud history.
The days when life in small town America was insulated from the menace of bad faith national leadership are over. Today, no serious person can doubt the threat Elon Musk and Project 2025 pose. It’s time to rise and remember we have rights, we have a voice, and we are community.
This is an inaugural effort, and we fully expect it will need sustained collective energy for the months ahead. Interested persons are encouraged to join us Saturday, March 29th from noon-2pm at the Two Wrasslin Cats coffee house in East Haddam. (Remember to carpool if you can!)
Sincerely,
Nicholas Griffin,
East Haddam, CT.