‘Let’s ... heal together’ after Hamden outcry

As the leaders representing Hamden’s three branches of elected government, we don’t profess to fully understand the personal feelings experienced during and after the verbal exchange that occurred during a Hamden Legislative Council meeting last week. We openly acknowledge that we must continue to be active listeners to learn and improve on how to best treat people in every circumstance.

For her part in this incident, Councilwoman Valerie Horsley has apologized in writing and in person. She has reflected, talked and listened to many people; and has reaffirmed her commitment to continue working on building a culture of equity and inclusion for the betterment of Hamden. We recognize Councilwoman Horseley’s apology as a reminder that the path toward healing is paved with these thoughtful and honest actions.

Hamden has a long history of embracing its rich diversity; and as other communities we continue to work to address and correct the systemic injustices that exist in our society. To ensure that we keep moving forward together, we must commit to treating each other with dignity and respect, even when we disagree.

Our collective progress is paused, set back, and disrupted when toxic language, racial slurs, and hate speech are openly used in public and in social media. This is wrong, harmful, and does not have a place in Hamden. This is not the example we want set for our kids and does not strengthen or improve upon the inclusive community we strive to be.

We call for and sincerely hope that those who took part in racist and deeply hateful name-calling, find the fortitude to acknowledge and rectify these wrongs immediately.

We call for everyone who participates in Hamden’s government or political process to engage in a respectful debate to allow Hamden’s residents to learn and consider different views and ideas. Our community deserves a healthy and respectful discussion of differences grounded in civility.

Let’s move forward and heal together; listening to each other, and expressing our differences respectfully and constructively. We must continue working together to build a better Hamden community for everyone.

We are all in this together.

Curt Balzano Leng

Hamden mayor

Mick McGarry

Legislative Council president

Kathleen Schomaker

Legislative council president protem

Berita Rowe-Lewis

Legislative Council majority leader

Betty Wetmore

Legislative Council minority leader

Arturo Perez-Cabello

Chair, Board of Education

Mellinda Saller

Secretary, Board of Education