Teachers were among the many rallying in Boston yesterday.
The executive order President Donald Trump signed Friday banning immigrants and refugees from seven majority-Muslim countries has teachers expressing condemnation and outrage.
CEA President Sheila Cohen said,
Teachers strive to create a safe and welcoming environment for our students every day. We endeavor to make sure each child recognizes his or her self worth and feels secure in order to learn and grow—emotionally and academically.
President Trump’s executive order flies in the face of teachers’ efforts—causing fear and confusion for students and their families.
This heinous action was made all the worse by its timing. Trump signed the anti-refugee order on International Holocaust Day, January 27, 2017. It was reminiscent of pre-World War II actions.
We are heartened that Connecticut’s Senators and Congressional delegation have come out against the immigration ban and we hope that, with teachers behind them, they can work with other lawmakers to overturn the ban.
Teachers will stand strong together in support of our core American values and continue to champion generosity, religious freedom, and the importance of protecting our most vulnerable.
May we always remember the words by Emma Lazarus engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty,
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Senator Blumenthal shares teachers’ concerns
In Hartford today, Senator Richard Blumenthal said the executive order will make America less safe and “will harm children and families fleeing violence and devastation.” Watch his comments to CEA below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsa636c6Lk?rel=0
