JOHN VELIS
Hello Westfield! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. Although there is not much legislation happening in the State House during the Holiday season, we are still hard at work getting ready for the new year’s session and keeping up with events in the community.
As many of you may have seen, much of my week has been devoted to the American Flag debacle at Hampshire College in Amherst. It was announced earlier this week that the college has stopped flying all flags, including the American flag, over its campus in order to “delve deeper into the meaning of the flag and its presence on campus.” As a veteran and proud citizen, this has not sit well with me, especially in the wake of the recent flag burning on their campus on Veteran’s Day.
After the initial shock and anger dissipated, I decided to send a letter, published in Wednesday’s edition of Westfield News, to the President of Hampshire College, Jonathan Lash. Since then, I have given statements to several press outlets and have continued to push back against the college’s decision. On Sunday, I will be attending a peaceful stand out at Hampshire College to join with other Veterans and concerned citizens to support those who have served and continue to serve our Nation. I very much appreciate the words of encouragement that I have received from all of you, and I promise to keep fighting until those flags are put back where they belong.
The rest of my week has been spent taking stock of my blessings during the Thanksgiving holiday. I am most grateful to my family and the citizens of Westfield for the continued support. I hope that all of you were also able to take a break during this Holiday and over this weekend to enjoy your friends, family and some delicious turkey.
As the Holiday season officially begins in Westfield, please remember to support your neighbors during “Small Business Saturday” and “Giving Tuesday.” I also hope that you will join me in celebrating the season tonight at the Lantern Light Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony. As always, have a great week and please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at 413-572-3920 or [email protected] with any questions or concerns!
