Gratitude

It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.

Sir Winston Churchill

Last night, Somerville got to see democracy work. Putting aside how divestment was first introduced into town debate, once it got there our alderman chose to give it a fair hearing, listened to the voices of the public, and then made the right decision to vote it down. While this decision was primarily motivated by what was in the best interest of our city (as it should be), by avoiding becoming a partisan in the anti-Israel propaganda war, they also acted in the best interest of all parties in the Middle East.

There are a number of people to thank for this successful outcome, beginning with all members of the Somerville Board of Aldermen. After grappling with a difficult issue and using it as a means to begin a voyage of discovery, individually and as a group they avoided having the town manipulated into a role almost no one wanted it to play. Special thanks to Bill White and Bill Roche who "smelled a rat" early and forced the issue to play out in the light of public debate. Their skill in navigating negotiations helped all of us understand that a principled stand against divestment and an ongoing commitment to human right were fully compatible.

Now that a stake has been driven into the heart of anti-Israel divestment, the best gift we can give our representatives is a brief, well-deserved "thank you" and then to leave them alone. All of our leaders, those we agreed with on divestment and those we did not, have important work to do, and this debate (as heated as it got) should now be put behind us. Somerville has already lost an important month of business, a month when (among other things) critical transportation issues have descended on us. A united leadership, supported by citizens who refuse to wallow in bitterness, is what we need right now. Borrowing a phrase that's been with us for the last decade, it's time to MoveOn.

Very special thanks to Mayor Joe Curtatone who got out in front of the subject early on with a principled stance, eloquently articulated and backed by his willingness to use his veto power for what he knew was right. Just as in the gay marriage debate, our Mayor seems to display a knack for not just saying the right thing but doing the right thing, the best demonstration of leadership. Who would have thought that only a year after our mayor was elected the nation would be looking to Somerville's for inspiration? Best to keep an eye on this young man.

While all support from everywhere is warmly appreciated, it was the contribution of Somerville citizens to the discussion that deserves special thanks. Almost all of the aldermen told us that it was the words of their constituents, those who were against divestiture and those who simply told them to stay out of international issues and get back to work solving Somerville's problems that won the day. We spoke. Our leaders listened. That's the definition of democracy.

On a personal note, I would like to thank all of those who tracked me down to give me comments, criticisms and suggestions for this Web site. All of your encouragement helped make this an energizing and fun project. Special thanks to Mike, my Webmaster, who agreed to update this site in exchange for a case of Otter Creek beer, which brings the sum total investment in the site to $37, twenty bucks for the beer and $17 to purchase the URL. (Who says you need to be rich to have a voice in politics?)

Having already missed two of the last three nights of Chanukah, I'm looking forward to lighting the next five candles with my two young boys without divestment hanging over our heads.

So finally, thank you all for reading this, and happy, happy holidays!