As America turns 250, Waltham can renew democracy at home
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, many folks are speaking anxiously about where we are as a nation and as a city. People say the American Dream feels out of reach, and some say that of Waltham specifically. I wonder if that is true or is it that we have gradually lost touch with the everyday habits that keep democracy working? A recent NBC News poll highlights this anxiety: The vast majority of Americans believe we aren’t taught enough about how our democracy functions.
To find our footing, we must look to our foundational principles. While our national identity values individual freedom, our greatest achievements have always relied on a deep commitment to the common good. We see this legacy in Waltham. As the birthplace of the American industrial revolution, our city is a vital hub because generations of neighbors invested in shared infrastructure — our roads, public schools, safety systems and parks.
Building a community requires active civic participation. When I taught U.S. history and government, I always reminded my students that the rules of our democratic republic provide the guardrails, while the voice of the people drives us forward. Today, as national partisan rifts grow, it is crucial that we don’t let them cause a disconnect in our communities.
We can start right here by focusing on a few practical approaches in our local civic life:
- Choose compromise over comfort: Recognize that political solutions aren’t set in stone. We build them through experimentation to find what’s best for Waltham.
- See our rules as tools: Our city charter and ordinances aren’t rigid obstacles, but adaptable frameworks for solving challenges.
- View neighbors as partners: Remember that our neighbors are co-creators in building Waltham, and genuine compromise is how we combine competing ideas to solve problems.
How do we put these ideals into practice on our 250th anniversary?
- Invite a neighbor with a different viewpoint to have coffee with you and find out what goals you share.
- Attend a city council hearing or watch a meeting on WCAC-TV.
- Review the Waltham City Charter online to learn about our city’s government structure.
- Write a constructive comment or letter to the editor to the Waltham Times.
Our governing tone isn’t set by elected officials. It is shaped at our own kitchen tables. When we show up, listen and act locally, we reinforce our civic foundation together. Active participation is how we reclaim the everyday habits of democracy and keep our community vibrant.
Author
Comments (10)
Leave a comment
When commenting, please keep in mind we are a small non-profit focused on serving our community. Our commenting policy is simple:
- Common sense civility: we’re all neighbors, but we can disagree.
- Full name required: no anonymous comments.
- Assume the best of your neighbors.
Excellent article, Brad. You captured one of the most important challenges facing communities today: civic engagement.
Our democracy isn’t sustained only by elections. It’s strengthened every day when neighbors listen to one another, attend public meetings, volunteer, serve on boards and commissions, and take the time to understand how local government works. Even when we disagree, respectful participation makes for better decisions and a stronger community.
Democracy requires each generation to participate, stay informed, and contribute. Thank you for encouraging that conversation here in Waltham.
Brad,
I appreciated your essay, especially from the perspective of a U.S. History and government teacher.
I am wondering whether In the sentence, “People say the American Dream feels out of reach, and some say that of Waltham specifically.” do you mean people who equate the American Dream with owning a home and finding it difficult to purchase an “affordable” home in Waltham; or, that few Waltham residents are attending Chamber of Council Meetings, etc., or, that Waltham residents aren’t speaking out in greater numbers about injustices occurring within the City, such as ICE apprehending people off the street.
Ellie Lyman
Ellie, thank you for reading. You’ve diagnosed the exact core of that line—it was absolutely meant as a combination of all those factors and more. The “out of reach” feeling isn’t just one thing. It is the economic strain of housing that keeps people from calling Waltham home, the quietness in our public forums, and the very real anxieties about justice and security felt by our immigrant neighbors. My goal is to remind us that we can’t solve any of our challenges until we see ourselves as active, joint stewards of our entire community. Thanks for pushing the conversation deeper.
There is nothing specifically partisan about this essay: If anything, it is a call for people *across ideological divides and political parties* to join back together to actively work on keeping our society and country running well. And yet there is more than one negative comment in which the writers seem to make a knee-jerk assumption that the article is pushing a specific set of political positions antithetical to theirs and fire back with statements that are complete non sequiturs when taken as a response to the article, completely failing to specifically reference or engage with anything that Brad actually wrote.
It is always interesting to find people in the comments section of an article providing excellent examples of exactly why the article was needed, and who really needed to read it, to begin with.
Brad, thank you for your call to take this momentous anniversary to continue the ongoing work of making America truly great. I hope there are enough people willing to take the message to heart and step up.
Thank you for taking the time to write the article Brad. You are on target in promoting discussions and engagement with citizens. When people participate in activities in the community and offer suggestions we all benefit. May I note the best positive event to promote civic awareness in Waltham in decades was the creation of the Waltham Times. In its own unique way, WT is keeping democracy thriving in our little place in the country.
David Gately
Block parties are an excellent way to get to know your neighbors. They’re easy to organize and you’d be amazed at the community that’s built.
I just recently moved to the area from California. I had a friend of the family killed by an illegal immigrant that was here under the Biden administration. It was a very awful experience especially when at the time law enforcement had to find out where exactly he came from. There is a constitution in this country with laws for a reason.
Stop being being so woke and follow common sense.
Hey, I would love to have coffee with you and hear more about this. Let me know if you are up for that. And we will figure out when and where. Happy 4th.
Just to be clear, you believe that people talking with/getting to know their neighbors and engaging with their local government is against common sense?