Ron Napoli, Jr

State Senator Joan Hartley and I are appalled at the recent comments by a General Assembly colleague likening Gov. Lamont's response to the pandemic to Adolf Hitler.

The Associated Press, October 10, 2021:  Lawmaker standing by comments comparing Lamont to Hitler

We strongly condemn such outrageous and callous remarks – especially at a time when our communities and nation must come together and embrace our diversity.

These comments are particularly disrespectful to the families of the millions of victims of the Holocaust. We stand unequivocally with and support all those in our community who were deeply hurt by these comments. Disregard for historical reality and disrespect for those who deal with that reality every single day will not be tolerated in the Waterbury community. Instead of spreading misinformation, we must come together as a community in our battle against COVID-19 and find a commonsense solution to the unprecedented challenges we are facing. It’s okay to disagree with the Governor’s strategy but comparing his good-faith actions to those of a murderous dictator only furthers the dangerous informational divide that has undermined efforts to keep all of our residents safe and healthy.

We encourage everyone to reach out to our offices with feedback on the Governor’s strategy, and we will always do our best to listen and echo those sentiments during the legislative process. But at the same time, basic respect for our neighbors and their experiences must be maintained if we want to effectively continue that public debate.