Esty deserves our thanks

The anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings also marks the beginning of U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty’s first term in office. The 5th District Democrat had not yet been sworn in when the killings occurred and shattered the lives of so many in that community.

The almost-Congresswoman was thrown into the midst of a bottomless nightmare. As she told me later, she spent day after day in those neighborhoods, joined by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and eventually by President Barack Obama. Esty went to house after house of families crushed by their losses, wake after wake, funeral after funeral. There was a toll upon everyone who became steeped in the unremitting despair of that time and place. Like others seeking to console the bereaved, Esty pressed on.

Now Esty ends her time in Congress, having decided that her errors in handling a sexual harassment case in her office pre-empted any hope of getting re-elected. The most capable Johanna Hayes will succeed her.

As she exits the office, Esty deserves our thanks and an acknowledgement that she represented her district, and the people of this state, ably while she served.

Esty deserves a special thanks, heartfelt from those who care, for her service — before even being sworn in — to the grieving families and wounded souls of Sandy Hook. Few will have such sad or more compelling duties. Esty carried out that duty with dedication and devotion, qualities that reflect her service throughout her term.

John Harrity, Hartland