To the Editor:

The Black Lives Matter movement was founded by self-proclaimed “trained Marxists.” BLM is a Marxist movement more than a civil rights movement.

In order to turn our society into the dream of a Marxist utopia, it first must be torn down, beginning with law enforcement. Instead of learning from history, it must be destroyed, as we’re seeing with the vandalism of monuments.

Do black lives matter? Of course they do. Would Marxism improve black lives? It does bring about equality — everyone (except the rulers) ends up equally in misery — that is, those who survive. It’s an ideology that’s responsible for over one hundred million deaths in the last century due to starvation or punishment for not kowtowing to the latest dictates. So, I say, no, Marxism is not the answer.

Human history is a story of tyranny. Our Declaration of Independence outlined ideals for governing never-before-seen — that all people are created equal, with unalienable rights, and that governments are instituted by the people to secure these rights. Novel, exceptional!

Due to the scourge of slavery within our shores (a world practice since at least 6800 BC), not all people were included in our country’s ideals at its founding. Our founders knew there was work yet to be done, but believed that liberty-for-all could only be achieved as a united union of the states. They began by putting an end to slave importation. A bloody Civil War was fought to free the slaves, followed by a Constitutional amendment (13th, 1865) to outlaw slavery, and another for the right to vote (15th, 1870). But after the Reconstruction era, racism reared its ugly head in the form of Jim Crow segregation laws, until the Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination in 1964.

We’ve come a long way, and the black community has made tremendous progress. Let’s not forget that Americans voted for a black man to be president — twice. And a black American born into poverty to a teenage, single mother used her talents and drive to become one of the most influential women in our country, and a billionaire — Oprah Winfrey. How could these examples (and multitudes more) be possible if black Americans were still systemically oppressed by our society’s structures?

Rather than tossing aside all the progress that our country has made, and subjecting everyone to a life of misery (or death) under Marxism, let’s learn from history and continue to ensure that the ideals spelled out in our Declaration of Independence hold true for all Americans, that we all enjoy our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Let’s treat our fellow man/woman with dignity and respect, judge our fellow man/woman by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin (per MLK Jr’s dream), and speak up when someone is treated unjustly. Let’s ensure that our “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address)

While I'm a member of Newtown's Legislative Council, the opinions expressed are my own, and not necessarily those of the Legislative Council.

Cathy Reiss

42 Obtuse Road, Newtown July 15, 2020