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Inside Press

A Time of Grief and Sadness Brings Community Together Again

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Article and Photos By Kelly Leonard

Color Guard awaits vigil.
Color Guard awaits vigil.

Chappaqua, NY, July 11–Four weeks after the Town of New Castle community gathered at its gazebo to mourn the loss of 49 souls gunned down in the Orlando Pulse nightclub terrorist attack, the community gathered again in shock from another week of violence in the U.S. This time we saw the lives of civilians and uniformed police officers taken during the past seven days, including the largest loss of police personnel in a single day in the U.S. since 9/11.

“A Community Gathering in a Time of Grief and Sadness” was held by the Town of New Castle for the community to express its appreciation for the brave individuals who dedicate their lives to law enforcement and to sustaining peace and security on its streets.

In addition to scores of community members, dozens of police and fire personnel came from across Westchester County to honor and remember the fallen including members of the Chappaqua, Millwood, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, and Westchester County Police departments among others. All wore dress uniforms with their badges covered with black bands.

The Emerald Society Bag Pipes Band opened the ceremony followed by a presentation of the Town of New Castle Police Department Color Guard. Chappaqua Central School Board Vice President Victoria Tipp led the Pledge of Allegiance. Speakers included New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein, Westchester County Legislator Michael B. Kaplowitz, New Castle Chief of Police Charles Ferry, Police Officer Chad Glance, President of the New Castle Police Benevolent Association, Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs, Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Chappaqua, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, and Khusro Elley of the Upper Westchester Muslim Society.

The names of the five fallen Dallas Police and DART officers–Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith, Brent Thompson and Patrick Zamarripa–were read aloud.

The resonating themes of the formal remarks were loss, mourning, honor in service, disparity in justice, and gun violence. While the phrase, “we are not divided, we are united” was said by more than one speaker, at times the remarks underscored the raw emotion felt in the aftermath of last Thursday’s ambush in Dallas.

Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein expressed his outrage about all the lives lost. “Americans of all races and all backgrounds are outraged by police misconduct. It’s unacceptable. When one of us is victimized we all suffer. There’s no division there,” he said. And then added: “Americans of all races and all backgrounds are also outraged when police officers sworn to uphold the law are at risk. Police officers who are protecting those who want to exercise their right to free speech, even if that speech is directed at other police officers, should not be at risk of being murdered. Senseless, heartless, murder.

Greenstein continued: “Whether the event stems from terrorism, hate crimes or any other motive is irrelevant. Gun violence as a tool of hatred targeting race, gender, sexual preference, profession or for any other reason cannot be tolerated. We must say no to gun violence. Lives cannot be lost in vain.”

Chief Ferry spoke of how police departments have more militarized weaponry now in reaction to “the militarization of criminals” and expressed how he is tired of hearing his officers and officers around the country being called racists while they risk their lives to protect their communities. He noted, “Five officers were slaughtered simply for the fact they were police officers.”

Chief Ferry inside the Gazebo addressing the community.
Chief Ferry inside the Gazebo addressing the community.

During his remarks, Khusro Elley of the Upper Westchester Muslim Society said, “We mourn the unfortunate and unnecessary deaths” of the past week and “we are outraged by the killing of African American men and women.” One of the more striking remarks of the evening was when Elley stated, “I would rather be Muslim than Black in America.”

Rabbi Jaffe of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester offered that gathering was an opportunity for the community to “join together in our feelings of mutual support.” He also quoted from Auschwitz survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

“I truly pray,” said Rev. Dr. Jacobs of the First Congregational Church of Chappaqua, “I am not standing here in another month for another vigil for another senseless act of violence.”

Rev. Martha Jacobs greeting New Castle police officers.
Rev. Martha Jacobs greeting New Castle police officers.

In closing the ceremony, the Emerald Society Bag Pipes Band played “Amazing Grace” as members of the Chappaqua Fire Department lit and released sky lanterns in memory of the lives lost in the Dallas ambush. The playing and singing of “God Bless America” brought the solemn gathering to a close while many lingered to watch the sky lanterns disappear into the evening sky.
Gathering.EmeraldSociety
Kelly Leonard is the Founder and Principal Consultant of KLO Associates, LLC, a digital marketing boutique specializing in custom content strategy and influencer engagement for authors, publishers, local businesses and nonprofits. Previously she held senior management positions at Time Warner Book Group and Hachette Book Group.

Hillary Clinton: Trump Dishonors Vets & Reckless on National Security Issues

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From the Campaign:

“Donald Trump is set to give an address about veterans this afternoon in Virginia. Perhaps he should address his own record. Trump’s recklessness, his lack of knowledge on national security, and his thin-skinned temperament would make our country and our troops less safe. The few policy reforms his campaign has actually embraced, like moving toward privatizing the VA, would deprive our veterans of the unique support they need and deserve. And for literally decades, Trump has been treating our veterans with disdain, from a deluge of deeply offensive comments, to taking actions that directly targeted and damaged the lives of those who have served.

Take a look:

Trump’s Campaign Has Signaled He Wants To Privatize The VA, And Said He Opposed The Post-9/11 GI Bill

• WSJ: “While short on details, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee would likely push VA health care toward privatization and might move for it to become more of an insurance provider like Medicare rather than an integrated hospital system, said Sam Clovis, Mr. Trump’s chief policy adviser, in an interview.”

• POLL: 64% of veterans oppose privatization — with 54% of them strongly opposing it — while only 29% support it.

• Hillary Clinton: “We cannot and I will not put our vets at the mercy of private insurance companies without any coordination, or leave them to fend for themselves with health care providers who have no expertise in the unique challenges that are facing our veterans… Privatization is a betrayal, plain and simple, and I’m not going to let it happen.”

• Asked point-blank in May if he supported the Post-9/11 G.I., which has benefited over 700,000 veterans and their family members, Trump said no.

Trump Dishonored Iraq War Veterans By Repeatedly Praising Saddam Hussein

• Trump, 7/5/2016: “You know what [Saddam Hussein] did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn’t read them the rights. They didn’t talk. They were terrorists. It was over.”

• Trump, Dec. 2015: “Saddam Hussein throws a little gas, everyone goes crazy, ‘oh he’s using gas!… they go back, forth, it’s the same. And they were stabilized.”

• Trump, Jan. 2014: “Whether you like Saddam Hussein or not, he used to kill terrorists. Now if you go to Iraq, it’s like the Harvard for terrorists.”

• Washington Post Editorial: “Saddam Hussein was not ‘so good’ at killing terrorists, as Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed. On the contrary, he was one of the contemporary world’s foremost sponsors of terrorism. He harbored or funded some of history’s most infamous killers and jihadists, including the current chief of al-Qaeda, and plotted numerous terrorist attacks of his own, including an attempt to assassinate former president George H.W. Bush with a suicide bomb.”

• ABC News: Congressman and Iraq War Vet Blasts Trump’s Praise of Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein

Trump Broadly Attacked Troops Who Served In Iraq, Accusing Them Of Stealing Iraq Recovery Funds

• Trump: “Iraq, crooked as hell. How about bringing baskets of money, millions and millions of dollars, and handing it out? I want to know, who are the soldiers that had that job? Because I think they’re living very well right now, whoever they may be.”

• Weekly Standard: Trump: American Soldiers in Iraq Stole Money, ‘Living Very Well Right Now’

• Washington Free Beacon: Veterans Push Back at Trump Over Theft Accusations

• Iraq War Veteran: “Mostly, I’ve kept my thoughts about politics and social issues to myself. But…I felt compelled to speak out…. You see, during my tour in Iraq from 2009 to 2010, I was one of those whose job it was to hand out ‘baskets of money.’… I personally never took a dime. No one else from my team took anything, either.… Trump’s statement attacking not just my character but also that of all the men and women I had the honor of serving with was repugnant. These people had raised their right hands and sacrificed a year or more of their lives in one of the worst situations imaginable, all for their country…. It’s infuriating to hear a billionaire real estate mogul…speak so callously against a group of Americans whom he knows next to nothing about.”

Trump Insults Our Military

• Trump: “Our military is a disaster.”

• NYT: “Donald J. Trump, who received draft deferments through much of the Vietnam War, told the author of a coming biography that he nevertheless ‘always felt that I was in the military’ because of his education at a military-themed boarding school.”

• Trump on Armored Humvees: “If a bomb goes off our wounded warriors–instead of losing their legs, their arms, worse, they’re okay. They go for a little ride upward and they come down.”

Trump Businesses Have Fired Employees Because Of Their Military Service

• HuffPo: Trump Institute Fired Veteran For ‘Absences’ After He Was Deployed To Afghanistan

• CNN: Iraq war veteran claims Trump University fired her for serving in the Army Reserve

• HuffPo: Third Veteran Dumped By Trump Because Of Military Service

Trump Repeatedly Lied About Donations To Veterans Charities

• Washington Post: Here’s how we found out about Donald Trump’s phantom $1 million donation to vets

• Mother Jones’ Kevin Drum: “If character is supposed to be important in our presidents, this is evidence of the most contemptible kind of character imaginable. He tried to cheat a bunch of veterans!”

• CNN: Trump’s website boasts that he gave $1 million to the 1995 Nation’s Day Parade, but the event’s organizer said that’s nearly three times more than he actually gave.

Trump Scammed Veterans Through Trump University

• CNN [VIDEO]: 40-year Navy veteran scammed out of more than $26,000 by Trump University

• Ex-Marine: “[Trump University] was a con. I’m 25-years-old, barely making $3,000 a month and they told me to increase my credit limit. I just maxed out three credit cards and I’m supposed to be able to qualify for loans to buy real estate? Those stupid principles have led me to borrow $700,000 of other people’s money and lose it all. I’m still paying off some of that debt to this day.”

• TIME: “The records indicate, for example, that Trump University collected approximately $40 million from its students–who included veterans, retired police officers and teachers–and that Trump personally received approximately $5 million of it”

Trump Insults Prisoners Of War

• Trump on Sen. John McCain: “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, ok? I hate to tell you.”

• USA Today: McCain: Trump should apologize to POWs

• BuzzFeed: Trump: I Don’t Regret McCain Comments, My Poll Numbers Went Up

Trump Attempted To Kick Disabled Veterans Who Were Vendors Off The Street Across Two Decades

• 1991: Trump Letter to State Assemblyman John Dearie: “While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living, is it fair to do so to the detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses?… Do we allow Fifth Ave., one of the world’s finest and most luxurious shopping districts, to be turned into an outdoor flea market, clogging and seriously downgrading the area?”

• 2004: Trump Letter to Mayor Bloomberg: “Whether they are veterans or not, they should not be allowed to sell on this most important and prestigious shopping street… I hope you can stop this very deplorable situation before it is too late.”

The Communications Workers of America Endorses Hillary Clinton

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From the campaign: “For decades, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) has connected Americans to each other—and along the way, they’ve helped build the American middle class.

“As President, I will always stand with the CWA to protect workers’ fundamental rights to organize, to bargain collectively, to be safe on the job, and to retire with dignity and security after years of hard work. I was proud to join the CWA on the picket line this year as they stood up to Verizon and fought for a fair deal.

“And I will do everything in my power to defend American jobs and American workers. Any trade deal must meet three tests to earn my support: It must create good American jobs, raise wages, and advance our national security. I do not believe that the Trans-Pacific Partnership meets this high standard. That’s why I oppose the TPP — and that means before and after the election.

“Above all, we must make sure unions have a seat at the table and a champion in the White House. Because when workers are strong, families are strong—and when families are strong, America is strong.”

In Time of Grief and Sadness: Community Gathering 6 p.m. at Town Gazebo

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Per Town of New Castle:

Gazebo - blue

The Town of New Castle is holding a “A Community Gathering in a Time of Grief and Sadness” on Monday, July 11th, 6 p.m., at the Gazebo in downtown Chappaqua.This community gathering is open to all ages. Members of the New Castle police force will be on hand. It’s a great opportunity for adults and children to thank them personally for all they do.

Those taking part in the ceremony include New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein, New Castle Chief of Police Charles Ferry. Police Officer Chad Golanec, President of the New Castle Police Benevolent Association, Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs, Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Chappaqua, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester and Khusro Elley of the Upper Westchester Muslim Society.

The Emerald Society Bag Pipes Band will play Amazing Grace.

New Castle Supervisor Rob Greenstein stated “Once again, we will come together to mourn the tragic loss of life – the most police officers killed in the line of duty since 9/11. Americans of all races and all backgrounds are outraged by police misconduct. It’s unacceptable. When one of us is victimized we all suffer. Americans of all races and all backgrounds are also outraged when police officers sworn to uphold the law, protecting those who want to exercise their right to free speech, are murdered. Many members of the New Castle police force will be on hand. Let’s use this opportunity to thank them for all they do. They are members of our community and they risk their lives protecting us. They deserve our thanks.”

Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs, Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Chappaqua, stated “as I look back on this past week, a question has arisen from my heart: How are we to make sense of this seeming loss of the value of human lives? There has been so much killing and mistrust and distrust in our country over the past year. This past month alone is a painful but important reminder that every single life matters. Our Christian tradition reminds us that we are to love our neighbor, even if that person is our enemy. Sometimes that is the most difficult commandment to live up to, and yet, we are to embrace all people, even those with whom we disagree, even those who would not welcome us to their table. We must and do welcome them to ours. We are to find ways to reconcile with those with whom we disagree – not through hatred and violence, but through love. In the end, love must overcome hate. Our faith requires no less from us”.

Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, stated “this Monday night, the entire New Castle community will gather to share our feelings of grief and anxiety while communicating our mutual support and interdependence. We will express our appreciation for the brave individuals who dedicate their lives to law enforcement and to sustaining peace and security on our streets. At the same time, we will advocate for justice and the right of each human being to receive due process and a fair hearing under the law, no matter their ethnicity or background. Most importantly, we will speak to the common bonds which weave us together as a society, no matter the particular qualities that may distinguish us from one another. Together, we may communicate that even though we are fortunate enough to live in a peaceful and secure environment, our hearts are torn by the images of violence, distrust and anger which have recently roiled our nation and we are ultimately inspired towards action.”

Khusro Elley, a trustee at the Upper Westchester Muslim Society, stated “The violence that has taken place over the last few days in particular is alarming. Police officers frequently are called to handle the most volatile, life-threatening and most dangerous situations, often being the shield between a hostile and violent individual and would-be innocent victims. These public servants are a vital part of our civil society, and deserve our trust and respect. Certainly there are those officers who may abuse their positions of authority; however there are many more who do not. We must be careful not to assume that all law enforcement officers are trigger-happy. We are outraged over the unneccesary killing of African American men and women by law enforcement.. We understand the insurmountable pain this causes families and communities but we also understand that violence and retaliation is not the solution, The time is now to come together in unity and dialogue as police and communities and to ponder over how we can bring this unending spiral of violence to an end.”

Hillary Clinton Proposes Investing in Community Health Centers

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Hillary Clinton is announcing a commitment to expand investment in community health centers as part of her comprehensive agenda to expand access to health care and reduce health care costs. The proposal affirms Clinton’s career-long fight to achieve universal health care coverage for Americans.

As president, Clinton will double funding for primary care services at Federally Qualified Health Centers which deliver community-based care serving populations with limited access to health care. This means extending the current mandatory funding that was significantly expanded under the Affordable Care Act and expanding this funding by $40 billion over the next ten years. Clinton will also affirm her commitment to give Americans in every state the choice of a public-option insurance plan, something she has supported during this campaign and going back to her 2008 presidential campaign, as well as allowing individuals below the Medicare age to opt in to the program — a proposal she first cosponsored legislation on in 2001 as a senator — by providing the option to those 55 and older.

“We have more work to do to finish our long fight to provide universal, quality, affordable health care to everyone in America,” said Hillary Clinton. “Already, the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage to 20 million Americans. As president, I will make sure Republicans never succeed in their attempts to strip away their care and that the remaining uninsured should be able to get the affordable coverage they need to stay healthy.”

Clinton’s plans will defend and expand upon the Affordable Care Act, which has already covered 20 million people nationwide, insuring more than 4.2 million Latinos and 2.3 million African Americans. The investments announced today in community health centers, which provide care for about 25 million people in the United States, more than half of whom are Hispanic or African Americans, will help break down the barriers minority communities face in accessing affordable health care.
This announcement reiterates and builds upon the plans Clinton previously released in her campaign to expand coverage and help make health care more affordable for the underinsured by capping out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and providing a new tax credit of up to $5,000 for families facing high medical costs, among other provisions.