Letter to the Voters of Revere
Dear Editor,
This year Revere faces many questions about its future and its identity as a city that is truly representative of the people that live in it. We have the largest field of candidates in recent memory, representing diverse ideas and cultures. We have the opportunity to effect a profound change in our city’s representative government. One that will face the challenges of a growing city that is has experienced changes in its cultural and economic demographics; is experiencing a growing need to provide equitable housing, and one that will be responsible for resolving the long-delayed decision for a much-needed new Revere High School facility.
Revere has a wonderful history dating back to the Revolutionary War with patriots rallying toward the cause of democracy and true representation against tyranny of king and a parliament that tried to force its rule over a people they did not understand or care to understand.
Coming out of that war we built a country intent on creating a truly representative government that fostered participation and input from the people it served. One that became a symbol to the world, the Shining Light of the “City on a Hill†referred by some of our greatest leaders: John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama to name a few.
In his Farewell Address George Washington warned us that “love of power will tend to create a real despotism in America unless proper checks and balances are maintained.†He also said that he wanted to be a president of all the American citizens, and that he believed unity, not division, was necessary for a democratic republic to survive.
During Rome’s centuries of existence there was a constant struggle to ensure the rights of common citizens and their inclusion in the governmental process. The ultimate elimination of those rights and inclusion resulted in Romes’s decline and ruin.
George Takai, known for his role as ‘Sulu’ in Star Trek, and later in life for his civil rights activism, probably said it best: “This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if we’re not in there participating then the people that will manipulate and exploit the system will step in there.
We, the people, need to be more participative in the electoral process, learning about the candidates and then getting out to support and vote for those who promise to represent ALL the people and not just those who say yes to them. People who are willing to enter a dialogue with those who have dissenting opinions, effectively listening to those opinions, learning from them, and collectively collaborating with all parties to create positive solutions and strategies, which look for ways to get things done, instead of providing reasons why we can’t.
This country was built on a ‘Can Do’ spirit. We need more of that spirit today. WE, all of us, need to get out there, meet the candidates, look for those who will truly listen to/represent us all, those who will present that ‘Can Do’ spirit and work harder to find and promote positive solutions.
If we fail at this, we fail ourselves.
“The Government we get is the Government we deserve.†—Thomas Jefferson
Ed Deveau
