To the Editor:

I wish the entire town of Newtown could have seen what I saw [Saturday, September 14]: dozens of handicapped people having the time of their lives on Lake Zoar, thanks to the generosity and resilience of the heroes at Leap of Faith Adaptive skiing. As a result of their generosity and diligence, my beloved sister (who has been wheelchair-bound for over a decade with multiple sclerosis) was able to water ski once again, thereby recapturing the joy of her youth and making her feel stronger and more capable. The sight of all those beautiful skiers overcoming their disabilities and the wonderful volunteers who did their utmost to uplift them was a genuine triumph of the human spirit which made my heart soar.

Unfortunately, I had to see all of this from the Southbury side of Lake Zoar, not the Newtown side. That is because, in the argot of the Gospels, “there was no room for them in the inn” in Newtown. Thank God for the kindness of the people of Southbury who told these handicapped people, “We want you here. Please come. We’ll be good to you.”

I would invite all the residents of Newtown who fought so hard to keep the disabled out of your town to examine their consciences. I hope that some day they will be able to open their hearts to all those with special needs who asked of Newtown only a single drop of the milk of human kindness, an iota of simple decency, and were cruelly refused.

The people of Southbury have my gratitude and admiration for welcoming those who were so unwelcome elsewhere. May they come to find that “blessed are the merciful, for mercy shall be theirs.”

Sincerely,

Daniel S. Mathews

167 Old Farms Road, Torrington September 16, 2019