GUILFORD — Many of us are having a hard time accepting the fact that we have a mentally unstable, narcissistic bully for a president (calling him a clown would be disrespectful to clowns), and we feel helpless to do anything about it.
But there is some glimmer of hope, and that exists on the local level. We still have the ability to effect change in our state and town, and that means that if we organize and mobilize we can make the world a better place, despite the daily garbage that is thrown our way.
The Guilford Democratic Town Committee has organized a community meeting for this Saturday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. at the Broad Brook Grange on Guilford Center Road. It will be an opportunity for local people to discuss issues important to their communities, the state, and the country.
The organizers of this event hope that attendees will be able to talk about ways to move forward and do something constructive about the issues that concern them.
The event organizers told me that issues such as health care, education, and affordable housing will be on the table, as well as any other issues people want to discuss.
This kind of meeting could be a model for small communities throughout Vermont and beyond for addressing many of the political and social anxieties that they face. Many rallies and demonstrations throughout the country in the past eight months have sent a number of messages to elected officials, but the time may have come for more meaningful action on the local level.
That is why Saturday's meeting is important. It marks a new direction for Vermonters, a chance to vent and a chance to figure out a way to do something about the mess that is being created by people in whom we have little faith. We do have faith in ourselves, and that is a good place to start when it comes to making change.
We can sit home and complain from our couches, or we can work to make change happen. This meeting will be a chance for anyone interested to move from complaining and feeling helpless to working to make our little corner of the world a better place.
The meeting will also serve as the annual Guilford Democratic Town Committee Caucus, and officers and delegates will be elected.
For more information about the meeting, call Andy Burrows at 802-254-9472 or Timm Harris at 802-254-3676.