Category Archives: A View from my Porch

A View From My Porch: A Rhetorical Question on Scamming—Just How Dumb Do They Think We Are?

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Tom Gotowka

A Disclaimer:
Despite the title, this “View is not about politics. Rather, I am responding to the report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that, “Nationwide, cases of consumer fraud are skyrocketing;” and review the magnitude of the problem. I also discuss some of the most common and recent forms of consumer attacks, and add a few personal cyber-war stories, which—in trying to recount them for this essay—compelled me again to ask myself, “Just how dumb do they think we are?”

Access:
Americans are hyper-connected via email, phone(s), texting, social media, and even old-fashioned USPS “snail mail.” Regrettably, our hyper-connectivity provides abundant opportunity for scammer attacks.

The Data:
The total dollars lost to fraud in the United States are daunting and growing.

In 2023, American consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud, an unprecedented benchmark—and of that, $4.6 billion was from investment scams. Looking farther back, the FTC reported consumer losses of only $1.9 billion in 2019, increasing to $3.3 billion the following year, and still growing. 

Americans were scammed of $5.9 billion in 2021, and $8.8 billion in 2022. “… and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.” (usually attributed to Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL).

The FTC received fraud reports from more than 2.8 million consumers in 2023, with the most reported category being imposter scams, e.g., you receive an urgent call from someone masquerading as a business official, a government agency, or even “on behalf” of a family member, requiring immediate payment of a bill, maybe bail. 

Online shopping followed “imposters” as the second most frequent scam. I have included an example of an imposter scam below.

Connecticut residents reported about $41 million in losses over more than 21,000 reports to the FTC, with about 1 in 5 Connecticut fraud reports involving “imposter scams.” 

Somewhat reassuring, Connecticut currently ranks 27th nationwide in fraud and other reports per capita—“other reports” include deceptive claims related to new and used cars and predatory lending. 

Gallup reports, “Financial scams were among the most common crimes affecting U.S. adults in 2023, with 15 percent saying at least one member of their household has fallen prey; including 8 percent reporting that it has happened to themselves … No subgroup of Americans is exempt from being scammed, but the rate is higher among non-college-educated adults and those in lower-income households.” Editor’s Note: The elderly are also susceptible. “In 2022, there were 88,262 complaints of fraud resulting in $3.1 billion in losses from people age 60+.”

The Classics: 

  • Waiting packages” was an early pandemic-era scam, often targeting college students displaced by shutdowns and traveling away from school, e.g., “Thomas: we came across a package in our warehouse from January, still pending delivery to you; but it cannot be conveyed due to incomplete address information. Please follow the attached link or contact us at our customer service number to prove ownership and confirm your address.” In December, 2022, FedEx issued a warning regarding this sort of email and/or or texting scam.
  • “Mister Mxyzptlk-type Scams”: “Mxy” is a character who appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. He is described as a “mythical trickster from the fifth dimension, possessing reality-warping powers, with which he enjoys tormenting Superman or making his life difficult. 

    You can recognize this type of email scam from its strange email address, awkward grammar, and misspellings. I kept a few of these. One came from: “growthxanlacapganvrgb@pouryourartsout.com;” and another from:  “obeisantiawquivuhbwhovzkplgk@pickupto.com.” Both told me, “You have won an Ninja Neverstick cookware.” Open the email and the offer increased to include, “You have been chosen to participate in our Loyalty Program for Free.” Of course, all one had to do to claim these valuable free prizes was to “Follow the link or contact us at our customer service number.”

    Note that these emails are included only to illustrate the issue and are totally bogus. This week, another came from: “cactusryigofxprtpvzwmxxuqw@informationsrevise.com”, notifying me that “You have won an Rachel Ray Cucina Cookware Set.” 

Phishing:
The above examples are known as “phishing” scams, which are attempts to steal personal information or break into online accounts using deceptive emails or sites that appear like sites you may already use. The scammers’ objective is to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. The term was coined in the mid-1990s by hackers stealing AOL accounts and passwords, i.e., “scammers were using ‘e-mail lures’ and setting out ‘hooks’ to fish for passwords and financial data from the sea of internet users.”

Note, a good rule of thumb is never click on links or make any calls to a “customer service” line in emails if you are unfamiliar with the source.

Our Imposter Experience:
My wife Christina answered a call in February from a woman, who identified herself as a social worker affiliated with the Old Saybrook Police Department; and signaled me to get on the extension. The caller informed her that our son had rear-ended a car driven by a pregnant woman while on his way to work in Old Saybrook. She said that the officer at the scene suspected that our son was distracted because he was texting.

The woman was rushed to “the infirmary” and her prognosis was unknown.

The caller expressed concern that the woman will lose the baby, which “would be really bad for your son.”

She informed us that OSPD had impounded his car and transported him to Hartford. She provided a dollar figure estimate of what we would need to bring, in cash, to a Capitol Avenue address in Hartford by 3 p.m. that afternoon to free our son.

Having been sensitized by a scam attack in January (see below), I called his work phone number at the beginning of what was the ersatz social worker’s fake story, and confirmed that he had reached work on time and without incident. We ended the call with two words. 

If you receive this type of threat, and they are common, call the individual, who is supposedly in trouble or try to confirm independently whether the business, utility or agency is indeed trying to reach you before taking any action.

It is not impolite to hang up.

Paypal User Scams:
PayPal is generally considered to be a safe and secure system for online transactions. I have been an occasional user of Pay Pal for several years and without problem. It has a huge presence, and as of the third quarter of 2023 reported 431 million active users worldwide, processing an average of 41 million transactions every day. 

However, on Jan.18, 2023, PayPal reported that a data breach had occurred between Dec. 6 and 8, 2022, during which the attackers had access to the accounts of tens of thousands of users and were able to access transaction histories, credit and debit card details, invoicing data, and account holders’ full names, dates of birth, addresses, and social security numbers.

PayPal took action to mitigate the breach, but unfortunately, in 2024, scams targeting PayPal users have become prevalent. I do not know whether users whose accounts were compromised were the most likely targets, or it was just because of the sheer number of users. 

The most common type of scam employs fake emails that appear to have been sent by PayPal. Many state that you need to verify your information or dispute a questionable transaction; or may claim that they have noticed unusual activity on the credit card that is linked to the PayPal account.

Note that the Bluvshtein article in “Sources” provides a good review of the different PayPal scams that occurred in 2024.

My PayPal Scam Experience:
I received an email from PayPal this past January that asked me to verify what appeared to be an unusual charge on my account. The email had the look and feel of PayPal. I called the phone number included in the email and reached a member of their “support team,” who indicated that they had already made payment, but their audit system had kicked it out as potentially fraudulent, based on my purchase history. It then got bizarre. 

The caller said that my account had already been reimbursed, but the reimbursement amount was wrong, and much greater than what was contested.  The conversation then became aggressive and urgent. They asked me to log into my bank account to verify that it showed a $20,000 deposit from the World Bank into my checking account; and informed me that I needed to return the money; and if I did not, they were prepared to take action.

They gave me instructions on how to avoid international wire transfer fees, which, as I recall, were to wire the money to an individual on their team in Hong Kong (really!). “Just tell your banker that the money is going to a friend and you are assisting him with his relocation to the United States.” I asked them to email the instructions to me because they were so complicated.  and they refused. I did not log into my account while on that call. 

I met with the branch manager at Liberty Bank in Old Saybrook within an hour of the call and described the incident. She told me that over the past few months, the Bank had already been working with customers, who had fallen prey to one of these scams—at one point, almost one per day.

She reviewed my accounts and there was no deposit from World Bank. However, there was evidence that they had gotten access because of one suspicious transfer of $20,000 within my accounts. We “froze” the checking account and set up new accounts with the existing assets.

I arranged for a thorough scrubbing of my hard drive. Afterwards, I had to make certain that I did not bounce any recent checks written on the frozen account, arranged for deposits and any monthly billing “draws” be routed to/from the new account. 

I also consulted with my youngest daughter, who is in the business—i.e., cyber security, not consumer scamming. She said that “attackers are getting smarter and more sophisticated and everything is easier with AI (Artificial Intelligence). This problem will only get worse. At the minimum, immediately set up “two-step verification,” aka “two-factor authentication,” which will add a second layer of protection to your account, alongside your usual method of logging in.

I set it up on all my accounts.

Reporting A Scam:
In 2020, the FTC introduced “ReportFraud.ftc.gov,” a platform for filing reports with the agency. They use that as the starting point for many of its law enforcement investigations and shares the reports with about 2,800 law enforcement users across the United States. Although the FTC does not itself intervene in individual complaints, the reports are an important part of the agency’s law enforcement mission.

The FTC has tracked fraud through its Consumer Sentinel Network since.1997.

Some Thoughts and Disclosures:
I am a Baby Boomer and a digital immigrant. I hardly ever do social media; and as far as I am concerned, “tik tok” was the last sound that Captain Hook heard before being swallowed by the crocodile in Walt Disney’s 1953 animated adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan; the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.”  

I think of the “Wayback Machine” as the time-travel device that Mr. Peabody and Sherman used to transport themselves back through time in the 1960s on “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.” 

However, I now also acknowledge the Internet Archive, which was created in 1996 to provide “universal access to all knowledge,” and launched to the public in 2001 with a nod to Peabody and Sherman  as the “Wayback Machine.” As of January 3, 2024, the new “Wayback Machine” has archived more than 860 billion web pages and over 99 petabytes of data

In closing, my essay on consumer fraud in the digital age, I will pass on the advice that Sergeant Phil Esterhaus provided to the assembled law enforcement officers each morning at the end of roll call at Hill Street Station: “Let’s be careful out there.”  Note that “Hill Street Blues ran on NBC from 1981 through 1987.

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Sources:
American Association of Retired Persons. “Impostor Scams.” AARP Bulletin. 03/30/2022. 
Barrie, J.M. (1911) “Peter Pan and Wendy.” London: Hodder and Stoughton
Benton, J. “ After 25 years, Brewster Kahle and the Internet Archive are still working to democratize knowledge.” Harvard University. Nieman Lab.02/02/2021. 
Bluvshtein, C. “15 PayPal Scams in 2024 and How to Avoid Them.” VPN Overview. 12/30/2023.
Byrne, J. “The Name Game: Mister Mxyzptlk meets Superman.” Superman Vol. 2 (11). 11/1987.
Dautovic, G. “How Many People Use PayPal? 20+ PayPal Statistics for 2024.” Fortunly.com.10/23/2023.
Federal Trade Commission. “New Data Shows FTC Received 2.8 million Fraud Reports from Consumers in 2021.” 02/22/2022.
Federal Trade Commission. “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book” 2019 – 2023.
Lazarus, A. “Heard about the “waiting package” phishing scam?” FTC Consumer Alert. 09/21/2020.
Geronimi, C. Jackson, W. & Lusk, H. (1953) “Peter Pan.” [Animated Film]. Walt Disney Productions.
Kay. R. “Sidebar: The Origins of Phishing.” ComputerWorld. 01/19/2004. 
Mc Gurran, B. “Is It Safe to Use PayPal?” Experian.com. 02/09/2022.
Saad, L. “Scams: Relatively Common and Anxiety-Inducing for Americans.” Gallup.com. 11/21/2023.
Skayhill, P. “Victim of fraud in Connecticut? New data show average consumer lost $460.” CT Public Radio. Morning Edition. 02/22/2022.
Federal Trade Commission. (Thur. 02/23/ 2023). “New FTC Data Show Consumers Reported Losing Nearly $8.8 Billion to Scams in 2022.” [Press Release.]
Federal Trade Commission. (Fri., 02/09/2024). “As Nationwide Fraud Losses Top $10 Billion in 2023, FTC Steps Up Efforts to Protect the Public.” [Press Release.] 
Winder, D. “Thousands of PayPal Accounts Breached— Is Yours One Of Them?” Forbes. 01/19/2023.

A View from My Porch: More on the Marquis: Lafayette’s Farewell Tour— The Bicentennial

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Tom Gotowka

In my last “View,” I considered General Lafayette’s life and crucial role in America’s War of Independence and reviewed his first visit to Old Lyme in 1778 (also see below.) 

My inspiration for this topic was the installation of Lafayette Trail markers commemorating stops he made in what is now known as his “Farewell Tour” in Old Lyme and my hometown, Fredonia, N.Y. in Aug.,1824 and June,1825, respectively.

I review that incredible farewell tour in this essay. This essay completes the saga about the almost mythical “hero of two worlds,” Lafayette.

Further, it is the bicentennial of the Tour and there are rumblings of a sweeping tribute; and perhaps even some local acknowledgement. 

In 1824, at the invitation of President James Monroe and Congress to “visit the “adopted country of your early youth, which has always preserved the most grateful recollection of your important services;” Lafayette began a tour of the then 24 states of the Union on its 50th anniversary.

President Monroe, the last Founder-President, felt that “it was important for the younger generation to recognize that freedom and democracy had come at a great cost.” Voters should remember those words when you vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 — the apparent GOP nominee seeks, in his own words, to “terminate elements of the U.S. Constitution. 

The invitation could not have come at any better time for Lafayette.

His life became fraught after returning to France in 1781. He viewed himself as a “missionary of liberty,” having drafted one of the basic charters of human liberties, the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,” with Thomas Jefferson; which he presented to France’s National Assembly on July 11th, 1789, a few days before the storming of the Bastille, which marked the onset of the French Revolution. The Declaration, which contained the principles that inspired the French Revolution, was discussed, and edited by the Assembly and became the preamble to the new French Constitution of 1791. 

Imprisonment:

The French Revolution devolved into the Reign of Terror, which included the guillotining of thousands — and Lafayette, a moderate who supported a constitutional monarchy, began to openly criticize the powerful political group behind the violence, Robespierre and the Jacobins. 

His situation turned dire and he fled the country, denounced as a traitor. He was captured and imprisoned by the Austrian government for five years as a dangerous radical and enemy of monarchy, who might lead an Austrian revolution. He was not released until Napoleon Bonaparte and his armies conquered Austria in 1797; and after two years of exile in Holland, Lafayette returned to France in 1799, whereupon he declined to participate in Napoleon’s government. 

Rather, as a fervent opponent of slavery, he resumed his correspondence with British abolitionists and American statesmen on the emancipation of slaves and began again to follow the developments of the anti-slavery movements in England, France, and the United States.

The Farewell Tour:

The Marquis de Lafayette by Gilbert du Motier. Public Domain.

Lafayette traveled more than 6,000 miles from August 1824 through September 1825, making stops in each of 24 states; with more than 170 stops in New England alone. The Tour relied on steamboats, stagecoach, canal barge and occasionally, horseback; and according to the American Battlefield Trust, was characterized by a fast pace, often at night, with frequent unscheduled stops to meet “off-schedule” with the public. 

Note that he also made repeated stops in New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., which I have not reflected. My account of his travelogue is assembled from several sources and I have tried to present the breadth and scope of his tour and what I consider the historic highlights. Further, this is not meant to be a precise day-by-day chronological record of the tour. 

He left Le Havre, France on July 13, 1824 aboard the American merchant vessel, Cadmus, accompanied by his son, Georges Washington de Lafayette; and was greeted on August 15th when he landed at Staten Island with a 13-gun artillery salute from the batteries of Fort Diamond, accompanied by cannon volleys from U.S. Navy and merchant ships in the harbor. He traveled to Manhattan the following day and was welcomed by the “first triumphal parade in NYC history.” A few days later, he headed north; and was escorted along Connecticut’s coastal towns and cities by companies of cavalry. He encountered the “eagerness of the citizens to see and be introduced” to him, while “thronged with multitudes.” 

He made 19 stops between Westport and New London; stopping in New Haven on August 21st to tour Yale. He visited Mrs. Faith Trumbull, widow of Jonathan Trumbull, who was Connecticut’s Governor during the Revolution.  

He crossed the Connecticut River by ferry from Old Saybrook to Old Lyme to have breakfast on Aug. 22nd with Richard McCurdy, the youngest son of John McCurdy, with whom he had stayed whilst his troops were quartered on Old Lyme’s South Green on July 27, 1778. Note that he eventually made 28 stops in Connecticut; including the 19 on the coast.

He continued north from New London through Providence and Stoughton, Mass.; and arrived in Cambridge, on August 25, settling in the Boston area until the end of August. He visited former President John Adams at his home, “Peacefield,” in Quincy, and attended Harvard’s Commencement. 

In September he visited Portsmouth, N.H., and its Naval Shipyard; and then headed south again to Boston and the Old North Church, stopping in Lexington, Concord, Salem, Marblehead, and Newburyport. 

Next on his itinerary were Worcester, Tolland, Conn.; and then, Hartford’s Old State House, which was completed in 1796, and Middletown, Conn.

The Grand Tour:

He began the “grand tour” or “great circle route” in October and visited Philadelphia, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. He stopped at Fort McHenry, where he was greeted by veterans of the War of 1812, some of whom still bore their wounds. Displayed in the center of the fort, was the tent that General Washington had used in 1776 at the Battle of Dorchester Heights, which ended with the withdrawal of British troops from Boston. 

He arrived in Washington on November 23rd, where he was the guest of President Monroe; and addressed Congress on December 10. 

In Virginia, he paid his respects at Washington’s tomb at Mount Vernon, visited Jefferson at Monticello, James Madison at his home, “Montpelier,” and the Yorktown Battlefield.

In early March,1825, Lafayette and his entourage set out from Washington and headed south to the Carolinas and Georgia; and then west to the new states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana; — all the way to New Orleans. 

In May, he went up the Mississippi by riverboat to the new states (i.e., since the original 13) of Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. He sailed the Ohio River to Pittsburgh.

La petite finale:

From Pittsburgh, he traveled through Pennsylvania and reached New York state via Meadville, and Erie. He stopped in Fredonia on June 4,1825, and from there, proceeded to Buffalo via steamboat from Dunkirk on Lake Erie. He visited Niagara Falls and went to Albany by way of the nearly-completed Erie Canal. From Albany he traveled directly to Boston, where he began his second New England tour by laying the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument on June 17, 1825.

On June 23, he continued his Tour, through Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, with two final stops in June at Montpelier, and then Burlington, ending the Tour at Lake Champlain.  

He returned to Washington and on September 6, 1825, his 68th birthday, a banquet was held at the White House by President John Quincy Adams. The following day, after delivering a farewell speech at the front entrance to the White House, Lafayette departed for France aboard a newly built frigate of the U.S. Navy, the Brandywine, named to honor his first major battle of the War of Independence. where he was wounded on September 11, 1777, He arrived safely back in France in early October. 

Samuel F.B. Morse (you also know him for his code) completed his full-length portrait of Lafayette in 1826, and it is displayed in the City Hall portrait collection in New York City Hall.

The William G. Pomeroy Foundation:

Established in 2005 to increase awareness, diversify, and expand the national bone marrow registry; they have expanded their focus to include community history and have provided grants for roadside markers and plaques; and since their founding in 2005, have funded more than 2,000 signs across the United States in six marker grant programs. 

To Old Lyme’s benefit, these programs have included Lafayette’s farewell tour; via their agent, The Lafayette Trail Inc., whose mission is to document, map, and mark Lafayette during the Tour and to “educate the public and to promote a broader understanding of Lafayette’s numerous contributions to American independence and national coherence in preparation for the 2024-25 tour bicentennial celebrations.” 

An Interesting Note:

While at Bunker Hill, his son arranged for trunks filled with the local soil to be transported with him back to Paris; and when his father died on May 20, 1834, he was laid to rest next to his wife at the city’s Picpus Cemetery; and his son covered his coffin with the soil they had taken from Bunker Hill. The American flag has flown over his grave continuously since the end of WWI.

In closing, “May God bless America and may God protect our troops.”

Author’s Thoughts: Even today, this would be a whirlwind tour. I wonder who arranged the trip and how was it done in such detail. Lafayette was “rockstar,” in The Sixties’ sense, which is high praise, indeed. I have also given this designation in an earlier “View” to Israel Putnam, of Brooklyn, CT, who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill. 

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Sources: Lafayette’s Farewell Tour
Auricchio, L. “Vita: Lafayette; Brief life of an American champion: 1757-1834.” Harvard Magazine. March-April,2015.
Baker, J.W. “The Imprisonment of Lafayette”. American Heritage. 06/1977.
Duncan, M. (2021) “Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution.” New York: Public Affairs Books.
Feinman, P. “The Lafayette 1824-1825 Bicentennial: Are You Ready? The Institute of History, Archaeology, and Education (IHARE). 11/29/2021.
Feinman, P. “Lafayette in New York: The Third of Four Trips.” IHARE. 12/27/2021.
Fowler, A. “Welcome Lafayette: The Revolutionary War Hero’s 1824 Tour in Connecticut.” Yankee Institute. 08/21/2023.
Gotowka T. “A Special ‘View from My Porch’ in Recognition of Independence Day: CT’s General Israel Putnam was a ‘Man of Legendary Courage’, a Brooklyn ‘Rock Star’.” LymeLine. 07/04/2022.
Icher, J. P. “The Lafayette Trail: Mapping General Lafayette’s Farewell Tour in the United States (1824-1825)”. The American Battlefield Trust. 08/23/2022.
Jones, W. “Rekindling the Spark of Liberty: Lafayette’s Visit to the United States, 1824-1825.” The Schiller Institute. 11/2007.

A View from My Porch: “Lafayette, We Are Here!” An American History Refresher

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George Washington’s Birthday Edition

Tom Gotowka

In August, 2022, the Lafayette Trail marker on Old Lyme’s South Green that commemorates a visit by General Lafayette to the McCurdy house in 1824 was unveiled.

The marker joins another on the Green that recognizes Old Lyme’s role in the women’s suffrage movement—American suffragist and activist Old Lyme resident, Katharine Ludington, was  a founding member of the Old Lyme Equal Suffrage League, the last president of the Connecticut Women’s Suffrage Association, and the first New England director of the League of Women Voters. Her name is also on a plaque honoring the state’s suffrage leaders in the south corner of the Connecticut State Capitol building.

The marker was of some interest to me because I grew up in Fredonia, N.Y., which had a visit by Lafayette on June 4, 1825. The Leverett Barker mansion, which eventually became the community’s library and historic museum; was lit for his arrival with candles at each window; scorching a window sash. One could not be a regular patron of Fredonia’s public library without gaining some appreciation for Lafayette’s role in our War of Independence. 

Fredonia held a ceremony on June 4, 2023 formally acknowledging the Town’s newly-installed Lafayette Trail marker on the grounds of the Darwin R. Barker Historical Museum.

This “View” is about Lafayette and the era and events that formed the foundation on which America’s values, continuing greatness, and world prominence was established. 

Portrait dated 1803 of George Washington (1732–99) by Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828). Public Domain.

It is also appropriate to reflect on Lafayette as we acknowledge the anniversary of George Washington’s birth on February 22. (George Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1731, according to the then-used Julian calendar. In 1752, however, Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar which moved Washington’s birthday a year and 11 days to February 22, 1732.)

I review General Lafayette’s life and important role in America’s War of Independence in this essay, and consider his first visit to Old Lyme in 1778; and then his remarkable “Farewell Tour” of the United States in the following “View;” but first, discuss the events that inspired the essay’s title. 

On June 26, 1917, General John J. Pershing, the newly-appointed Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, and 14,000 United States infantry troops landed at the port of Saint Nazaire in France, shortly after the United States first entered World War I. 

On that July 4th, Paris celebrated American Independence Day; and Pershing and a battalion of his troops made a symbolic march through Paris, ending in the Picpus Cemetery at the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette; where speeches were made at the tomb in tribute to Lafayette’s contribution to America’s War of Independence.

Pershing’s aide, Colonel Charles E. Stanton, provided the day’s most memorable speech: “America has joined forces with the allied powers, and what we have of blood and treasure are yours. It is with loving pride we drape the colors (i.e., the American flag) in a tribute of respect to this citizen of your great republic. And here and now, in the presence of the illustrious dead; we pledge our hearts and our honor in carrying this war to a successful issue. Lafayette, we are here!”

Terminology:

“Congress” refers to the Continental Congress, which served as the government of the 13 American colonies and later, the United States, from 1774 to 1789; proclaiming independence from Great Britain and its king in 1776 by adopting the Declaration of Independence. “Army” is the Continental Army of the United Colonies, and later, the United States, during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775 by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress; and created to coordinate the military efforts of the individual colonies and their militias under a single Commander in Chief, George Washington.

The Marquis:

Lafayette was a wealthy aristocrat, born into a family of noble French military lineage in 1757. He was christened Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, and commented in his autobiography that “I was baptized with the name of every conceivable saint who might offer me protection in battle.”

The Marquis de Lafayette in 1791 by Joseph-Désiré Court. Public Domain.

When he was two years old, his father perished in battle with the British during the Seven Years War. His mother and grandfather both died when he was twelve; and he inherited the title, great wealth, and extensive landholdings, making him one of the richest young men in France. At thirteen, he received his appointment to serve in the King’s Musketeers as a junior commissioned officer and began his education at the Military Academy at Versailles. Note that it was common for nobility to be given military ranks at a young age during this period in France. In 1773, and due to the influence of his future father-in-law (below); he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the prestigious Noailles Cavalry Regiment.

He married Adrienne de Noailles in 1774, the daughter of the Duc d’ Ayen. One of the most prominent and influential families in France; they had close ties to the British royal family. 

Notably, he attended a dinner party in August, 1775 at which Great Britain’s Duke of Gloucester, the estranged younger brother of King George III, railed against his royal brother’s policies in the American colonies and praised the exploits of the Americans at the opening battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord; which was later memorialized by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the “Concord Hymn” as “the shot heard round the world.” 

Lafayette had found his cause. He and his friend and mentor, German-born French military leader, Baron Johann de Kalb, met with Silas Deane of Wethersfield, CT in December, 1776 in his role as the Continental Congress’ first envoy to France. 

Congress had sent Deane to France to secure financial and military assistance and to investigate the possibility of a formal alliance. 

He also promoted the American cause amongst French aristocrats and military officers; offering commissions to men who were willing to enter American service. 

Deane promised Lafayette a commission as major general and the command of a division if he would travel to America; but also recruited the services of other foreign soldiers.

Deane negotiated a shipment of arms, munitions, and other supplies with the French that made possible an important victory at Saratoga in October, 1777. The battle was a turning point in the War and led the French to recognize the Colonies’ independence and continue their military assistance. 

Note that Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee joined Silas Deane in Paris and the three were appointed by the Continental Congress as the diplomatic delegation to France. They worked together to negotiate a Treaty of Alliance and Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France, signed on February 6, 1778.

Lafayette was determined to join the War of Independence, perhaps even seeking to avenge his father’s death.

His wife was pregnant, and both King Louis XVI and his father-in-law opposed his decision. The King prohibited Lafayette’s departure, fearing that it would anger Britain. 

Nevertheless, he and de Kalb sailed to the newly declared United States in 1777, seeking the commissions that had been granted by Silas Deane. 

The General:

Following his safe arrival in Charleston, Lafayette spent a month traveling to Philadelphia, mostly on horseback; where he met with a Congress reluctant to promote him over more experienced colonial officers. He was not yet twenty years old and had no experience in combat. However, his willingness to serve without pay and his connections with the supportive French secured him his commission as major general on July 31, 1777. 

He met with George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army at the City Tavern in Philadelphia. 

Historian James R. Gaines reports that Washington was concerned about the teenage aristocrat’s ability to act in any command capacity. Lafayette’s arrival had been preceded by a series of disreputable men recruited by Silas Deane; and Lafayette was just, “The latest French major general foisted on him by the Congress.” Washington had been, “Trying to sweep back a tide of counts, chevaliers, and lesser foreign volunteers, many of whom brought with them enormous self-regard, little English and less interest in the American cause than in motives ranging from martial vanity to sheriff-dodging.” 

Consequently, Lafayette served on Washington’s staff in Philadelphia for six weeks. Washington was taken by the young man’s ebullience and dedication to the American cause; and by the fact that he was a fellow Mason. Lafayette was in awe of the American Commander in Chief; and the two men formed a bond. In a matter of weeks, he was riding at Washington’s side on parade. 

In September, Lafayette was put to the test in the Battle of Brandywine Creek, near Philadelphia. He fought with distinction on the front line and rallied the troops. Defeated by the overwhelming strength of the British army, he managed an orderly withdrawal of the Continental Army, despite his wounds; enabling them to safely retreat and reorganize. 

His wounds at Brandywine incapacitated him for two months. Upon his return, he was given command of a division. Both he and de Kalb endured the hardships of the encampment at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777 -1778. 

Lafayette fought with distinction in several skirmishes and battles with the British in the following years; and I present a few key milestones in the following. 

Note that de Kalb was killed in action in 1780 at the Battle of Camden Court House in South Carolina.

Lafayette’s first visit to Old Lyme:

In late July, 1778.Lafayette stayed with John McCurdy whilst his troops were quartered on Old Lyme’s South Green, which was much larger then.

I draw from historian Katharine Mixer Abbott’s “Old Paths and Legends of the New England Border” in describing Lafayette’s brief stay. “Above stacked arms among shadowy elms on the green in Old Lyme waved the white fleur-de-lys, and our yearling stars and stripes. Major General Lafayette, in yellow satin waistcoat with the red and white trimmings of the blue coat fastened with gold buttons.  Lafayette had ordered a night’s rest for Varnum’s and Glover’s brigades.” 

Note that Varnum and Glover were not among the “lesser lights” of the Revolutionary War. General Varnum served at the battles of Red Bank, NJ in 1777 and the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778. He was also at Valley Forge. 

General John Glover’s 14th Continental Regiment of Marblehead, Mass. comprised primarily of seamen, mariners, and fishermen, was a highly diverse brigade of volunteers who distinguished themselves in two crucial operations.

In August 1776, the Continental Army was soundly defeated at Brooklyn Heights and nearly trapped by the British army. In a surprise nighttime operation in the wind and teeming rain, Glover and his regiment ferried Washington’s 9,000 men, horses, artillery, and supplies across the East River to the relative safety of Manhattan; saving them from entrapment.

On Christmas night in 1776, Glover’s regiment ferried Washington’s army of 2,400 men, horses, and artillery  across the Delaware River in a blinding snowstorm for a surprise attack on the morning of December 26, 1776 on 1,400 Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton, NJ. Washington attacked, defeated the Hessian garrison, and turned the tide of the war.

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851. Public Domain.

Lafayette petitioned Washington to allow his return to France in February,1779 to work with American emissaries Benjamin Franklin and John Adams and negotiate additional troops and supplies with the government of Louis XVI, 

He arrived back in America in April, 1780 with the news that the King had agreed to send French troops and relocate six ships of the line from the French fleet in the Caribbean in support of the Americans.  

In July, General Rochambeau arrived near Newport, R.I. with an army of 5,300 infantry men and 450 officers to join the Continental Army and fight alongside Washington. 

The following year, Lafayette was given independent command and sent to Virginia to conduct “hit and run” guerrilla actions against forces led by the traitor, Benedict Arnold; and then shadow the army of Cornwallis. Washington and Rochambeau marched their combined force south to Virginia and joined Lafayette’s troops on September 9th, entrapping British General Cornwallis’ 8,800 English, Hessian, and provincial troops.

Just before their arrival in Virginia, the French fleet under the command of Admiral de Grasse had encountered and defeated British Admiral Thomas Graves’ fleet near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay; preventing the Royal Navy from reinforcing or evacuating the British force.

War’s End: 

The American Siege of Yorktown began on September 28 and ended on October 19, 1781 with the surrender of General Cornwallis.  It was a crushing defeat for the British army, leading to the end of the war.

Yankee Doodle:

In the aftermath of the Siege, the surrendering British soldiers marched between the lines of American and French soldiers as their  band played a melody called “The World Turned Upside Down;” but acknowledged only the French, refusing to pay the American soldiers any heed. Lafayette was outraged at the slight and ordered his band to play “Yankee Doodle” to taunt the British as they handed over their weapons and returned to Yorktown under militia guard. “Yankee Doodle,” originally embraced by the British military to mock their American counterparts, was named CT’s official state anthem in1978.

Note that music in the Continental Army consisted of fife and drum corps. It was used not only to boost morale, but also for communication and regimentation; and was included in his drill manual, “Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States;” — aka, the “Blue Book,” that Baron von Steuben had drafted for George Washington in 1779.

Lafayette Square:

Monuments honoring Lafayette and Rochembeau and other Revolutionary War figures are located across from the White House in Lafayette Square. On June 1, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C., law enforcement officers, with orders from the Attorney General, used tear gas and other riot control tactics to forcefully clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square, creating a path for then-President Donald J. Trump and some senior administration officials to walk from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church; where Trump bizarrely held up a Bible and posed for a photo op. The methods used to clear the peaceful demonstrators from Lafayette Square were widely condemned as excessive and an affront to the First Amendment right to freedom of assembly. 

Just before visiting the church, Trump had delivered a speech in which he urged state governors  to control protests by using the National Guard to “dominate the streets,” or he would otherwise “deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem.”

Note that the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of U.S. military forces to perform the tasks of civilian law enforcement, unless explicitly authorized by Congress. However, the President, under his or her constitutional powers to put down insurrection, rebellion, or invasion may declare martial law when local law enforcement and court systems have ceased to function. The Act does not apply to the National Guard, when acting in a law enforcement capacity within its own state, and under orders from the governor of that state. 

In closing, “May God bless America and may God protect our troops.”

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

Author’s Comments: i) It is always important to recall America’s history, especially as we move further into this important election year, as one candidate seems to misremember and /or misunderstand the values that have kept America great.  
ii) I was amazed at the distances that troops moved during the period discussed above. As noted above, In my next “View,” I will cover Lafayette’s farewell tour of the then 24 states, of the United States, which began In 1824, at the invitation of President Monroe.  

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Sources:
Abbott, Katharine M. (1908) “Old Paths and Legends of the New England Border- The Eastern Coast.” G.P. Putnam & Sons. New York and London. 1908
American Battlefield Trust. “Winter at Valley Forge.” 09/21/2017
Daughan, G.C. “Fight Again Another Day.” History. 09/25/2017
Drury, D. “The Rise and Fall of Silas Deane, American Patriot.” Connecticut History. 10/02/2020.
Editors. “Lafayette arrives in South Carolina to serve alongside General Washington.” History. 11/13/2009.
Fischer, D. H. (2006) “Washington’s Crossing”. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Gaines, J. R. (2007). “For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions.” New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Gotowka, T. “A View from My Porch: The Marquis, Groucho, Sam, and Me” LymeLine. 02/19/2021.
Lafayette, M. J. P., “Memoirs, Correspondence and Manuscripts of General Lafayette.”
Project Gutenberg eBooks. Released 06/01/2005
Leepson, M. “George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette.” The George Washington Presidential Library. 
McNamara, Robert. “The Marquis de Lafayette’s Triumphant Tour of America.” ThoughtCo. 02/16/2021. 
Obituary. “Katharine Ludington.” The Hartford Courant. Hartford, CT. 03/11/1953. p.14.
Observer Today. “New historical marker coming to Fredonia to honor Lafayette.” The Observer. 05/31/2023.
Old Lyme Historical Society. “The Lafayette Trail marker at the Old Lyme South Green was formally unveiled at the Old Lyme Town Band concert on Sunday.” Facebook. 08/09/2022.
Project Gutenberg eBooks. Released 06/01/2005.
Parker, A.A. (2010) “Recollections of General Lafayette on his Visit to the United States in 1824 and 1825; with the most remarkable incidents of his life, from his birth to the day of his death.” 
Keene, N.H.: Sentinel printing company
Potter, B. “Lafayette Becomes a General, 1777.” History Highlights. 07/30/2018.
Powell, J. “Lafayette: Hero of Two Worlds.” Foundation for Economic Education. 09/01/1997.
New England Historical Society. “Lafayette Returns to America.” New England Historical Society.
Schellhammer, M. “The Daring Departure of Lafayette.” Journal of the American Revolution. 11/21/2013.
Wilde, R. “The Role of France in the American Revolutionary War.” ThoughtCo, 04/05/2023.

A View From My Porch: My Father’s January 6th—in 1941

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Tom Gotowka

We are three divisive years after the shameful and violent January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol that transpired on live TV. 

As the title indicates, this essay considers a very important historic event that occurred 80 years earlier on the Sixth of January in 1941; and is presented here as something that better reflects America’s values and world view than the anathema that occurred in 2021. I decided to tackle this subject because I am very troubled about recent campaign rhetoric and challenges to America’s principles of democracy. These are the issues that keep me up at night. 

One candidate has toyed with the idea of becoming “dictator for a day,” and he has also spoken of vengeance and retribution. That same individual has been removed from the ballots in some states because his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bans those who “engage in insurrection” from holding office.

Further, in December, 2022, while continuing to push the utterly false claim that he lost the 2020 election due to widespread voter fraud, he proposed that “termination of all rules, even those found in the Constitution” was merited.”

I believe the assault on the Capitol was instigated by the same losing candidate to interfere with the certification of electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election.

Four people died that day: a female rioter who was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer; two of heart conditions; and another from amphetamine intoxication. More than 100 members of law enforcement were injured. The next day, Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died after suffering two strokes, having been physically attacked and pepper-sprayed during the riot. 

Incredibly, Congressman Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) later referred to the Jan. 6 attack as a “normal tourist visit;” conveniently ignoring the violence, loss of life, and that the Capitol had been ransacked and vandalized by a mob who wanted to hang Mike Pence to “Stop the Steal” on behalf of an unworthy politician. 

Note that for the first time in its history, the United States of America did not have a peaceful transition of power.

Former President Donald Trump defended the rioters’ chants of “Hang Mike Pence,” saying it was understandable because they were angry the election hadn’t been overturned.

Extraordinarily, the Republican National Committee said Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat and the deadly attack on the US Capitol were “legitimate political discourse.”

However, actions do have consequences. By December 2022, at least 964 people had been arrested and charged with crimes, making it the U.S. Justice Department’s largest criminal investigation in history. The Department of Justice’s Washington D.C. office said in its latest update that 623 people had received sentences, though not all had been handed periods of incarceration; while around 657 individuals had pleaded guilty to federal charges, “Many of whom faced or will face incarceration at sentencing.”

According to NBC News, one candidate promised at a town hall hosted by CNN at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire that if he is elected, he will pardon a “large portion” of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the attack on the Capitol. I can’t say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control.” A candidate has used “Hitleresque” and neo-Nazi descriptions of undocumented immigrants.

In addition, there has been evidence of gerrymandering in several states, i.e., redrawing Congressional, state legislative, or other political boundaries to favor a political party or candidate for elected office. For example, the Republicans, who control the state legislature in North Carolina, have crafted a map that could help them flip at least three seats.

In Michigan, a three-judge panel ruled that the boundaries of 13 Detroit-area seats for the Michigan legislature must be redrawn, after determining that the map was illegally influenced by race. Nearly 80 percent of Detroit residents are Black, but the Black voting-age population in the Detroit-area districts ranges from 35 to 45 percent; one is 19%. The Michigan legislature is currently controlled by the Democratic Party.

Last January, the “Republican-crafted” redistricting plan in Alabama was found to be in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by a Federal court. The court ruled that the plan disadvantaged Black voters by diluting their voting power. The state’s Republican-lead legislature refused to follow a Federal Court order to re-draw the electoral map. 

Note that by law, states with more than one representative must redistrict after each decennial census to account for population shifts within the state, or shifts among the states (i.e. to add or remove congressional districts.) In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Federal courts have no power to police partisan gerrymandering and it is up to Congress and state legislative bodies to find ways to restrict excessive partisanship.

Even beyond the above, the GOP-led House of Representatives has been in chaos and virtually dysfunctional. As a result, Congress in 2023 passed the fewest laws in decades; and as it heads into its second session, is on track to be one of the least productive in modern history. 

On the flip side, the Senate passed a provision in the annual defense bill on July 19, 2023 that would make it more difficult for a U.S. President to withdraw from NATO—clearly a precautionary measure against Donald Trump’s conceivable return to the White House.

And now let’s turn to my Father’s January Sixth back in 1941. But we will begin by going back even further.

The Political Climate After World War I (WW1)

The Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles, which marked the end of WW1, against the recommendation of President Woodrow Wilson; because it required the United States to join the League of Nations. The United States then returned to its former non-interventionist and isolationist policies, ending its war-related European commitments. Foreign affairs and international relations became much less important than economic survival as the United States struggled through the Great Depression.

Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939 in response to the growing threats of war in Europe and the Pacific; and they sought to ensure that the United States would not become entangled again in foreign conflicts.

After Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1,1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) avoided the Neutrality restrictions by convincing Congress to permit the Government to sell military supplies to France and Britain on a “cash-and-carry basis,” i.e., they would pay cash for American-made supplies and then transport them on their own ships.

However, by 1940, much of Europe had fallen to the Nazis and the Battle of Britain air war was underway. Britain was fighting Germany on land, at sea, and in the air. 

The “Four Freedoms”: 

In his January 6,1941 State of the Union Address to Congress, FDR   presented his reasons for American involvement in the war in Europe and outlined the country’s war aims. He made the case for continued aid to Great Britain and greater production from war industries at home to produce armaments for the democracies of Europe. 

He asserted that the United States was fighting for the universal freedoms that all people deserved. He called for Congressional approval of the “Lend-Lease” program that he had proposed a month earlier at a press conference. Under “Lend-Lease,” the United States would continue to supply the British and their allies in the fight against Nazi Germany with ammunition, airplanes, tanks, food, and raw materials under an agreement that eliminated the requirements of the “cash-and-carry” exchange. 

“Lend-Lease” was enacted by Congress on March 11, 1941, and it allowed the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation free of charge, and on the basis that such help was essential for the defense of the United States. 

FDR articulated his ideological aims for the war, and appealed to Americans’ most profound beliefs about freedom. He presented the post-war social and political goals he hoped to foster both for Americans and for the people of the world. He described four essential human freedoms upon which he believed the post-war world should be founded. These were freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. He called for a worldwide reduction of armaments to ensure that no nation will be able to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor anywhere in the world.

On Jan. 26, 1942, the first elements of the United States Army arrived in Belfast and by year’s end, more than 300,000 American service personnel had passed through as the first contingent of the nearly two million who served in Europe. 

The Battle of the Bulge:

My father was part of the first 300,00 and remained in Europe to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in the brutal winter that stretched from mid-December,1944 through late-January,1945. which was the last major German offensive on the Western Front; and the largest and bloodiest battle of WW2. The Battle lasted nearly six weeks amid heavy snow, blizzards, and freezing rain, and record-breaking low temperatures.

The Allies suffered some 75,000 casualties and Germany lost 120,000 men and stores of matériel. The German losses were catastrophic and, as a result, they forfeited any chance of maintaining a prolonged resistance to a resumed Allied offensive.

Author’s Comments: My father never really spoke of his experiences. However, he wholeheartedly embraced Tom Brokaw’s book, “The Greatest Generation,” in which the author described those Americans, who grew up during the Great Depression and fought in WW2, or whose labor on the Homefront helped win it. He used the term in recognition of what he called “a generation of towering achievement and modest demeanor.” In closing, “May God bless America and may God protect our troops.”

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.

Sources — A View: My Father’s January Sixth
Christenson, J. “Congress passed fewest laws in decades in 2023: report.” NY Post. 12/19/2023.
deVogue, A. “Supreme Court orders voting maps redrawn in Alabama to accommodate Black voters in surprise ruling.” CNN. 06/08/2023.
Editors. “Franklin D. Roosevelt speaks of Four Freedoms.” History. 11/16/2009
Goldman, A. “One Man, One Vote: Decades of Court Decisions.” NYTimes. 11/21/1986.
Harris, B. “With eyes on Trump, Senate votes to make NATO withdrawal harder.” Defense News. 07/19/2023.
Heller, J. “Editorial Cartoon: House Passed Fewest Laws in Decades.” Washington Post. 12/30/2023.
Kreuz, R. “How We Talk When We Talk About January 6.” Psychology Today. 03/01/2023.
“Longley, R. “The Evolution of American Isolationism.” ThoughtCo. 04/16/2022.
Norton, T. “Fact Check: Did Donald Trump Call to Suspend the Constitution?” Newsweek. 10/24/2023.
Pengelly, M. “Republican party calls January 6 attack ‘legitimate political discourse.’” The Guardian. 02/04/2022.
Petras, G., and others. “How the storming of the U.S. Capitol unfolded on Jan. 6.” USA Today. 02/09/2021.
Phillips, A. “Full List of Capitol Rioters Jailed So Far and the Sentences They Are Serving.” Newsweek. 09/12/2023.
Schouten, F. “Redistricting fights in these 10 states could determine which party controls the US House.” CNN. 11/08/2023.
Schwartz, R. “The ‘states’ of statewide gerrymandering in 2023.” The Week. 09/21/2023Terkel, A. “Trump says he would pardon a ‘large portion’ of Jan. 6 rioters.” NBC News. 05/10/2023.

A View From My Porch: Reflections on the Election

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Tom Gotowka

At long last, I am devoting this “View” to a few thoughts and observations on Old Lyme’s November 7th municipal election, which included a recount; aka “recanvass,” for positions whose margins were less than 20 votes; — required in CT unless the losing candidate waives the recount. The recount, which was held on Monday, Nov. 13th, did not change any elected positions, though one was reduced to a margin of a single vote. 

It is noteworthy that in a state where only 34 percent of eligible voters turned out on the 7th, there was remarkable interest amongst Old Lyme’s electorate; where 58.6 percent of eligibles voted. 

In contrast, Lyme had 33.9%; East Lyme, 40.3 %; Waterford, 33.7%; Groton, 25.2%; and to the west, Old Saybrook had 40.3%; and Westbrook, 33.8%. 

Participation in municipal elections is usually lower than for statewide or national elections, when turnout in Connecticut can exceed 75 percent.

The results of the election demonstrated the community’s support for the Democrats’ “Small Town-Bright Future” vision; and the new leadership team on the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen (BOS), with Democrats Martha Shoemaker as first selectwoman and Jim Lampos, selectman. The Democrats were also successful in contests for positions on important boards and commissions. 

Republican Judith Danenhower Read, fills the third position on the BOS, receiving 1,715 votes vs. her running mate, John Mesham’s 1697. In Old Lyme, the losing candidate in the first selectman’s race automatically becomes a candidate for the board of selectmen. 

Old Lyme’s Town Clerk, Vicki Urbowicz, swore in the newly elected on Sunday, Nov. 19th.

The earliest draft of this “View” included a lengthy assessment of the factors and events that I believe had an influence on the election. These included the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee’s list of priorities that was sent to all residents in the spring, which included a “pledge” to exercise greater “parental rights” over the shaping of school curricula and the holdings of school and public libraries; the ‘book-banning’ issue and subsequent “petition” against it;  and the demand made in a public comment at a Region 18 Board of Education (BOE) meeting that BOE members, who had signed the  “petition” mentioned above should resign because they were really supporting pornography and obscene books in our Library’s ‘Teens & Tweens’ section.

My editor, who sometimes uses her red pen in the same way that Darth Vader wielded his light saber, strongly suggested, — i.e., told me, that now was not the time to be looking backward but rather forward. Of course, I submitted to her decision, but after a little bobbing and weaving, and a reminder that “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it;” did negotiate an abridged version of my original effort. 

All that said, there is an apparently orphaned project that deserves attention. 

Last year, the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts proposed an “Arts Overlay District” on Lyme Street, which would amend Old Lyme’s zoning regulations and create “a more flexible arts and social district.” Michael Duffy, Chairman of the Academy’s Board of Trustees, stated that they seek “a predictable set of guidelines so they can plan, knowing that their activities are “in conformance with the regulations.” Their site at 84 Lyme Street is zoned “residential”, although the Academy, with its extensive studios and classrooms, has operated on that site as an educational institution for decades. 

The Town’s Planning Commission had already determined by unanimous vote in October 2022 that the proposed overlay district was consistent with the Town’s “Plan of Conservation and Development.” They referred the proposal to the Zoning Commission, and it was on that Commission’s November 14, 2022 agenda; continuing through December and into 2023. As I recall there was some concern raised by the Historic District Commission that the Academy might use the new zoning regulations to open a Starbucks. Unfortunately, and now a year later; Zoning has not taken any action on the Academy’s proposal, although Democratic Commission member, Mary Jo Nosal, has emphasized the importance of writing new regulations without delay. 

Author’s Notes: I want to pass on the words of Winston Churchill, who frequently used the phrase, “We must go forward together,” in speeches to Parliament and the British people as advice for First Selectwoman Shoemaker and the BOS. 

I also want to acknowledge Tim Griswold’s many years of service to Old Lyme; and as a fellow Navy veteran, wish him “fair winds and following seas,” the traditional United States Navy farewell tribute.

Editor’s Note: This is the opinion of Thomas D. Gotowka.

About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.