Submitted by Jen Donnalley, Director, Center for Public Good at Greenwich Country Day School
Land of the FREE and home of the BRAVE?
At this moment in time, it is incredibly difficult to be an American.
I am a middle school teacher at Greenwich Country Day School, and when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance to start our week together as a community, or stand for the National Anthem before a home basketball game, my voice catches, and my eyes tear up.
Every day, I watch my government treat humans in an inhumane way, and I have no idea what to do about it. So my step #1 is to voice my opinion and write my first-ever letter to the editor.
The list of reasons why I am so disheartened is too long to print, so I’ve chosen to share a few that contradict what I believe has always been the moral fiber of our country.
On Feb. 20th, the US government announced that Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status will end on August 3, 2025. What does that mean? It means all Haitians who are in the US legally with TPS status could be sent back to Haiti. The US State Dept lists Haiti as a Level 4 travel advisory which tells US citizens not to travel there.
Why are we sending these protected people back into harm’s way?
How did your family end up in America? Did your ancestors flee for their safety? My grandfather escaped the Nazis in Poland. I’m here to tell the tale because he was greeted by the Statue of Liberty and the open arms of strangers as his boat docked at Ellis Island.
I’m grateful to THAT United States of America.
Are we going to stand by and watch children die of malnutrition? Whether you think USAID was run efficiently or not, ending it without an exit strategy will have devastating repercussions for millions. Many of you spend more time planning your weekly grocery list than our government did on ending 40 billion dollars in aid.
How does this make sense?
Women are losing their lives due to the lack of access to reproductive health care, transgender citizens are watching their identities be erased, and our government seems ready to abandon Ukraine.
What atrocity will be next?
What has happened to the integrity of so many members of our Senate and Congress? They bravely chose to dedicate their lives to public service. Where has that courage gone? And to the few who are standing up to this tyranny, we see you, and we THANK YOU!
Now that my step #1 is complete, If anyone has ideas for step #2, I’d love to hear them. For the first time in my life, I have NO idea what action steps should even be on my list. While I spend my days running the Center for Public Good, I am at a loss.
If I have any sense of hope, it lies in gratitude. I want to express my immense gratitude to every individual, community group, and nonprofit organization in our country working tirelessly to serve their country in a very difficult landscape.
Jen Donnalley
Director, Center for Public Good at Greenwich Country Day School