We 33 members of the Westport Democratic Town Committee watched with great interest the inauguration of Donald Trump as our nation’s 47th president. His life embodies, his campaign espoused, …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Register to post eventsIf you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here. Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content. |
Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.
We 33 members of the Westport Democratic Town Committee watched with great interest the inauguration of Donald Trump as our nation’s 47th president. His life embodies, his campaign espoused, and the planned executive orders champion a world where the strong survive and others get left behind. The federal government, which so many people depend on, is seen as the “deep state,” something to be vilified and eviscerated. There is no question Donald Trump triumphed on election day. But his election will have consequences.
We are proud of our Democratic heritage. A great Democratic standard bearer, Hubert Humphrey, the “happy warrior,” said in his last speech in 1977, “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.”
It is these people who are now most at risk as well as immigrants who are helping to build this country, paying taxes, and are now facing the fear of being rounded up by the millions by federal troops sworn to protect us from foreign adversaries.
What might we do when government steps back from its “moral test?” We think it is up to us to step forward. Fortunately, there are several great non-profit organizations in the Westport area that are here to help those in need. They can always use our help. We emphasize these organizations are strictly non-partisan. They deserve help from ALL of us, regardless of party affiliation. If someone is cold and hungry, they are neither republican nor democrat, they are just cold and hungry. We ask our neighbors to join us in supporting these worthwhile organizations:
• “The dawn of life, the children”
The Westport Education Foundation,
Friends of the Westport Library
•“The twilight of life, the elderly”
Friends of the Westport Council on Aging
•“The shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped”
These are a handful of organizations that are working every single day to help those who are the most vulnerable among us. When government steps back, all of us as individuals need to step forward.
This is what makes us the community of Westport. It is what makes us Americans.
Tim Cayton
Westport
Cayton is chairman of the Westport Democratic Town Committee.