A Week of Loss and Hope - A Joint Letter

Edit January 28, 2021 - The original version of this letter failed to recognize the heroic work of all of the first responders, not just our police. We sincerely appreciate the entire response team, including fire and ambulance personnel, who were on the scene and continue to protect and heal us daily. The omission was unintentional and has been corrected below.

January 25, 2021 - Reflecting on last week’s local and national events fills us with a sense of loss and hope. The brutal homicide of a beloved Greenwood educator in an apparent case of domestic abuse was shocking. We are proud of the work our first responders and school department have done to protect and heal our community. It is a stark reminder that domestic violence takes many forms and disproportionately affects women.

The next day, the nation celebrated the inauguration of America’s first female vice president. The fact that we finally have not only a woman, but a woman of color, in the White House is a tremendous sign of hope: hope that all children can now see themselves as future leaders; hope that we can recognize people for their contributions, not their gender or color; and hope that women at the highest levels of government will direct more attention and funding to issues that unduly impact women, like the domestic violence our small town tragically witnessed.

Regardless of your gender or politics, last week’s events are difficult to reconcile. We choose to view them as examples of how far we have come, but also how far we still have to go, to ensure that every one of us can live up to our full potential.

Sincerely,

Ann McGonigle Santos, Chair, Wakefield Town Council

Julie Smith-Galvin, Vice Chair, Wakefield Town Council

Mehreen Butt, Wakefield Town Council

Picture credit: Photo by Jacob Morch on Unsplash