Category: activism

activism, events, volunteer

Hands Off National Day of Action April 5

Grassroots organizers nationwide are mobilizing for HANDS OFF, a day of action on April 5th in response to the alarming policies and decisions coming from the federal government.

Now is the time for us to stand up and make our voices heard. We are calling on all members of our Democratic Town Committee to take part in this effort—whether by attending rallies or amplifying our message online and in our community. Our collective action is crucial to defending democracy, protecting our rights, and pushing back against harmful policies. 

Here’s a brief list of local events and links to more information. 

9-10am – Peaceful sign-waving rally on the sidewalks in front of Deep River Town Hall. 

10-11am – Hands Off! Middletown, register for more information.

11am – 1pm – Hands Off! New London at the New London Superior Court

12-1:30pm – Hands Off! New Haven on the New Haven Town Green

3-6pm – Hands Off! Hartford at the Connecticut State Capitol.

Learn more: https://handsoff2025.com/

activism, community

Democracy in Unprecedented Times

Whether this is your first visit or one of many, we want to assure you that there are things we can do to save our democracy in these unprecedented times. Our Town Committee acts on the principle that good policy and politics begin on the local level. With that in mind, we seek out and put forward municipal candidates we believe will best serve the Killingworth community and support democratic principles, locally, statewide, and nationally. Our municipal elections will be held this November 4, 2025. There will be more about our candidates and our election activities from late spring through early fall.

With the White House and the GOP-controlled Congress throwing us into chaos, it is easy to be discouraged. But we can do many things to let legislators know how we feel and to make sure they know that they will be held accountable for bad faith actions. There are groups out there fighting legally and morally to preserve the rule of law under our Constitution. We may not be able to stop every unlawful act or terrible policy, but we can surely try to win a few battles.

There are many organizations you can support with donations and/or actions. A few suggested at our last KDTC meeting were:

  1. Common Cause
  2. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
  3. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

A statewide organization that has national affiliations is DWA (Democracy Women in Action). You can find the group’s mission statement and learn what they do at info@dwaindivisiblect.com.

Calling and texting your national legislators, The White House, House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer becomes part of a chain of such calls. It is never just one voice. They all have websites and local offices.

In the coming months we will be posting relevant articles from legislators and others that explain what is going on and how the Democrats are planning action going forward. We hope you find them useful. And, of course, you can join us on the Killingworth Democratic Town Committee or stop in for one of our meetings. KDTC meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7 pm, in the Killingworth Library meeting room.

Our Connecticut national legislators’ phone numbers are:
Chris Murphy
860 549 8463
DC phone number 202 224 4041

Richard Blumenthal
860 258 6940
DC phone number 202 224 2823

Joe Courtney
860 886 0139
DC phone number 202 225 2076

We hope you will join your own voice to so many others in support of this democracy we share.

activism, elections, events

SLDW Super Tuesday Gathering March 3

On Tuesday, March 3, 7-9pm, please join the Shoreline League of Democratic Women (SLDW) for a Super Tuesday Gathering at The Scotch Plains Tavern in Essex, CT. Watch the primary returns on the big screen coming in from 16 states and participate in the #Ides of Trump call to action. See the details below!

 

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Time: 7-9pm
Location: The Scotch Plains Tavern, 124 Westbrook Road, Essex, CT 06426 (Across from the Essex IGA)

Super Tuesday Party on March 3

Dear SLDW Members, Friends and Supporters,

Join us on Tuesday night, March 3, from 7pm – 9pm for a Super Tuesday Gathering at The Scotch Plains Tavern in Essex, CT. Let’s all watch the primary returns on the big screen coming in from 16 states and participate in the #Ides of Trump call to action. See the details below!

Address: Scotch Plains Tavern, 124 Westbrook Road, Essex, CT 06426 (Across from the Essex IGA) 

#IdesofTrump Call to Action! Bring your postcards or pink slips to this event and write your own special message to the pResident! On March 15th, each of us will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired.

Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math. No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say.

So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin. Prepare for March 15th, 2020, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump

activism, elections

Candidate for the State Senate 12th District

At last night’s meeting, the Killingworth DTC members heard remarks from Christine Cohen, who is running for State Senate in the 12th District. This is the seat currently held by Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr., who recently announced he will not seek re-election in November.

Christine is a Guilford resident who has been active with the Board of Education and other community organizations. She’s also a small business owner in Madison.

Christine is participating in the Citizens’ Election Program to receive public financing for her campaign and she needs help with small donations in order to qualify. If you’re interested in chipping in $5 or $10 to help that effort, please visit her Facebook page.

 

activism, opinion

An Unsuitable GOP Speaker

The Hartford Courant published a letter by Cathy Iino, first selectman of Killingworth, on August 8. 

Courant.com

View PDF of digital edition

 

A confederation of Republican town committees invited Michelle Malkin to address them on Thursday in Haddam. Their choice of speaker tells us that our local Republican party is fully on board with the Trump administration’s message of hate.

Just one example of Malkin’s extreme and callous views: Malkin claims that the internment of women, men, and children of Japanese descent during World War II was vindicated by reports that Japan tried to recruit agents among people of Japanese origin living in the U.S. Historians have debunked her account, but even if it were correct, it would not justify incarcerating an entire group on the basis of their ethnicity. That is, by definition, a racist policy.

After 9/11, President Bush made it clear that America did not see Muslims or the Islamic faith as our enemy. That was a bright spot in his administration—one I particularly appreciated as the child of a father who, as an American teenager, was sent with his family to an internment camp. From there, he volunteered for the U.S. Army and was decorated for valor.

I am sorry to learn that local Republicans think Malkin represents what their party stands for.