To the editor;
I was recently contacted by families of law enforcement regarding divisive Facebook postings made by the chairperson of the diversity task force about the thin blue line flag, a symbol of support for our police officers.
This is an ongoing conversation in this town regarding individuals that don’t respect law enforcement, but more than that, continue to make their families feel unsafe. As if watching your loved one walk out the door not knowing if they will come home was not stressful enough.
Their children are bullied online, the playground and at school. Some of the stories are heart-breaking. No child should have to stay quiet about what their parent does for a living for fear of being bullied. Their spouses don’t talk about the work that can leave them lonely and in emotional pain. They don’t always use their real names on line for fear of being used as pawns against their family members.
None of us can know for sure what this job does to you and your loved ones. We hear stories, we read statistics and accounts but, unless you live it, you’ll never know.
Many members of the community display the flag with the thin blue line to show support or respect. To show we see them and appreciate they have taken on a job that most of us could never do. To show we have their backs because they have ours.
Chairman Tara Figueroa would have you believe this flag is a sign of racism and hate. She has compared it to the confederate flag — that the term Blue Lives Matter is a nod to white supremacy.
I call on First Selectman Tesoro to remove Figueroa from this committee. If diversity is the goal of this committee this isn’t the way to go about it.
Cindy Penkoff, District 2
Trumbull Republicans