To the Editor:

Last week, a letter appeared in this paper that was so troubling, it reached me all the way in Washington, D.C. [“Letters Of Endorsement,” Brandon Kirch, 10/17/08.] The letter was eloquent and provocative, written by a fellow 2001 graduate of Newtown High School who has struggled, as many of us do, to find his place in the world. He wrote of the trials he has faced since leaving Newtown, and I sympathize with his difficulties; certainly, the world can be less than welcoming, at times, to idealistic, privileged young people like us. That fact makes Chris Lyddy’s depth of experience and dedication to public service all the more impressive.

Chris is a graduate of prestigious Salve Regina University in Rhode Island, where he distinguished himself — as he did at NHS — as a generous, compassionate leader. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania; there, too, classmates and faculty alike were struck by Chris’s unwavering faith in the good in people and his compelling ability to do the right thing, even in the face of tremendous pressure.

After graduating from UPenn, Chris did something even more impressive. He saw an opportunity to return to his hometown, a place that had given him so much strength in his younger years, and make it even better for those who came after him. And although many of his contemporaries — contemporaries like Brandon Kirch — never really came home to honor and improve to the place that made their future accomplishments possible, Chris devoted himself to the people of Newtown, and to being a voice for them.

Let me speak — er, write — the obvious. Chris Lyddy has accomplished more in his 25 years than many others of his generation. And while I’m loath to defend the often-selfish sense of entitlement that taints the ambitions of many of my former high school classmates, I simply cannot find that selfishness in Chris Lyddy. He is a dedicated, empathetic man with the best interests of his hometown — a town he has returned to despite the countless opportunities the world holds for bright, talented souls like his — at the deepest core of his very big heart.

The choice in this election is not between experience and naiveté. It is hardly, in fact, a choice at all. Chris Lyddy is the best, most dedicated representative that Newtown could send to Hartford, a man who will listen carefully to your concerns and fight with all the exuberance of youth and all the strength of his deep convictions to make Newtown a better place. I encourage you to show your love for this beautiful town that many of us still call home by sending Chris to speak on your — our — behalf. On Tuesday, November 4, vote for Chris Lyddy for state representative.

Leah K. Blewett

Washington, D.C.                                                          October 17, 2008