Newsletter Volume 3 • Number 15
It was not your typical ribbon-cutting last week when town leaders gathered to mark the completion of the new vestibule at Greenwich high school.
For one, the event coincided with yet another tragic mass shooting at a school, this time in Georgia. For another, the primary purpose of this costly project is to give our high school students an added layer of security against the same kind of assault here.
“Isn’t it heartbreaking,” asked building committee chair Steve Walko, “to think we have to spend so much planning and building, to eliminate threats to our children?”
The Georgia shooting, which left 4 dead, happened just a month after the start of school. There have been a mind-boggling 417 school shootings since Columbine, a toll that Republican legislators appear content to live with as “a fact of life,” to quote Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance.

“Hardening” all our schools with blast proof glass, security systems, video surveillance and school resource officers is expensive and would take years to do. The GHS vestibule alone cost $3.2 million and has been in the works since 2019.
But there is something else we can do to protect our children’s lives at school, which costs nothing, and can happen instantly. Common sense gun laws.
Common sense gun laws save lives
After the Sandy Hook tragedy, CT strengthened its assault weapons ban and required background checks for all firearm purchases. Gun violence deaths in CT are the 5th lowest in the nation. Our violent crime rates are 40% of the US average, and they have declined by 41% since CT enacted its sweeping gun safety laws.
In 2023, our state legislature updated our gun laws to fix loopholes. They passed An Act Addressing Gun Violence, a comprehensive law which, among other things, requires firearms to be sold with a trigger lock, prohibits the open carry of guns in public, requires the registration of ghost guns, increases the age to purchase a semiautomatic rifle to 21, and limits bulk purchases of handguns. But do you know who voted NO to this bipartisan bill?
Senator Ryan Fazio.
Just last week, after a student at Stamford High School announced that she would “shoot up the school,” police were able to intervene immediately. We cannot afford to re-elect lawmakers who stand in the way of action to reduce gun deaths. This November, please vote like our childrens’ lives depend on it. Vote Nick Simmons for state Senate.
Local candidates are dodging the question about whether they support Trump. Don’t let them!

As you contemplate who to send to represent you in the state legislature, remember, those same people vote too. All four Democrats on the ballot for the Statehouse in Hartford support reproductive freedom; oppose easy access to assault weapons; and believe in the peaceful transfer of power.
The candidates of the other party? Not so much.
Ask the Republican candidates how they’ll vote on these issues
Mr./Ms. Candidate:
- Will you refuse to vote for Donald Trump, who has said he’s “proud” to have “terminated” abortion rights?
- Do you agree with Donald Trump that unless he wins, our elections have been “rigged”?
- Will you refuse to back a presidential candidate who is in the pocket of the NRA?
You can’t claim to be “bipartisan” while supporting MAGA. Telling voters you are a moderate while leading a Project Veritas disinformation rally is lame (see Sen. Fazio in the photo below).
Vote for candidates who will protect your rights, life and your livelihood. Vote for Rep. Rachel Khanna (District 149), Rep. Steve Meskers (District 150), Rep. Hector Arzeno (District 151), and Nick Simmons (State Senate District 36). They won’t let you down.

Harris crushes the debate
The headlines say it all |
New York Times: “A sharp Harris rattled Trump” Politico: Harris won the debate–and it wasn’t even close.” The Guardian: “Harris delivered a ‘masterclass’ debate” The Hill: “House Republicans bemoan Trump’s debate performance: Not good.” |
Why are you voting for Democrats this November?
Greenwich neighbors weigh in

“Anyone reasonable should not think twice about voting Democratic, especially Republicans.”
— Ashod “A.K.” Kassabian, Greenwich
Democratic Action Calendar
Volunteer.
Sign up to volunteer with the Greenwich Democrats this election season. Or just drop by our headquarters open daily 10-5, and get to work.
September 13, 14 & 15. Canvass.
Join the Nick Simmons campaign canvass this Friday, Saturday or Sunday. RSVP here for details.
September 13. Call.
Nick Simmons virtual phone bank Friday 5:30 pm. Signup here.
September 17 & 19. Call.
Rachel Khanna virtual phone banks 4:00 pm. Signup here.
September 18. Meet.
GDTC monthly meeting, September 18, 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Town Hall meeting room.
October 15. Learn.
State Senate and State House candidate debates, Greenwich League of Women Voters, 7:00 pm. Register.

Volume 3, Number 15 • September 12, 2024 |
Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |