OGT DAILY - Day Fifty ACTION

Today I had the privilege of being part of a great gathering of individuals at a town hall meeting in the Bronx.

I'm proud to say that my sister and sister-in-law were responsible for organizing this event and it brought together a good many distinguished persons all dedicated to speaking and discussing the desire for humanity and justice in the face of this frightening display of autocracy which our country is enduring.

Among the speakers was Congressional District 16's Representative to the House Elliot Engel who is a ranking senior Democratic member on many key committees.  This was a friendly town hall to thank him for his work opposing the current administration and to ask him questions about moving forward.

It was just heartening and healing to hear one of our elected leaders speak to us in reassuring words about supporting immigrants, muslims, women's reproductive rights and marriage equality.

Elliot Engel may be a politician, but he restored my faith in good government by speaking about restoring voter rights, eliminating gerrymandering and Citizen's United; maintaining healthcare; calling for the attorney general to resign and just stating that he had never seen anything like what is going on with this presidency and he has been in the House for 29 years!   He said, "I just want to shake the President by the shoulders and say what are you doing to this country?"    He has a tradition of shaking the President's hand when they address Congress, but refused this past week, because he said "I just couldn't.  Things have never been this bad."

Thank you Congressman Engel and thank you members of CD16 Indivisible.   I then went to a meeting of Westchester Citizen Therapists and discussed a plan of action with a small group around Family Safety in Westchester County: gun violence, education policy and the rise in hate crimes.  No small order, but it feels good to be taking concrete steps and to be doing so with the support of so many dedicated people.   Much more satisfying than petitions on FB.   I urge you to find your local Indivisible group - go to a meeting; find a way to help; become active.  It will make a difference.