This past week had something for everyone: For supporters of President Donald Trump, there was Inauguration Day and the festivities that followed; for those who opposed his election and worry about the policies his new administration might enact, there were rallies and marches in D.C., Boston, and hundreds of other cities and towns. We seemed a nation newly energized, aroused from a deep civic slumber. Rather than witnessing the unraveling of our shared democracy, we seemed to be watching its reconstitution, with newly engaged activists from all sides, men and women, young and old, stepping forward to be heard.
Democracy works when voters pay attention, debate the issues of the day, and take part in their government, which includes, at the very least, exercising their right to vote, the most fundamental of the rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Voter turnout has always been relatively high in Harvard, which is in many ways a bastion of direct democracy. What’s been lacking here are contested races and a broad commitment to participate, face to face, in the work of local government, rather than remaining uninvolved armchair critics.
The appearance of new citizen-initiated efforts, including election of a Charter Commission, creation of a Cultural Collaborative, and formation of a committee to explore town-owned broadband, has been encouraging. We join the League of Women Voters in hoping that the energy of this weekend will lead to a renewed engagement in town government, with more competitive races for seats on our elected boards and livelier debate in the days leading up to 2017’s Annual Town Meeting and Town Election.
