To the Editor:

Connecticut has a long history of upholding democratic values. Our founding values of liberty, freedom, and opportunity were established in the colony’s 1662 Royal Charter, which gave Connecticut the right to self-governance with a freely elected governor and assembly. This is the same Charter that, legend has it, brave colonists hid in the hollow of an oak tree in 1687 to prevent England from destroying the foundation of our liberty.

Connecticut has always believed in generosity. Our state supplied provisions for the revolutionary forces fighting against a non-representative government. Our state motto “He who transplanted still sustains” applies to people as well as agriculture: we give people the opportunities they need for a fresh start, just as our founders needed when they left England.

Connecticut laws reflect our modern constitutional dedication to equal opportunities for all people. We are a model for affordable accessible health care, reproductive choice, sensible gun legislation, and quality education.

This November, I will vote for Democratic candidates, because they will uphold Connecticut’s historical traditions and values.

Edward Randall

86 Great Hill Road, Newtown         September 18, 2018