DEMOCRACY 101 .......... OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

• "Over the years, I have written many news articles in a number of venues for community based news agencies. I enjoy the readers of both old school hard print, and our newer internet news groups. An example of these are found in either, The Somerville News, or the Malden Patch, news agencies. The topics vary from simple humanitarian stories, to terrorism, or even credit card fraud reports. My favorite contributions are the political ones".

On March 13, 2014, I wrote an article that hoped would stimulate an open minded thought process cultivating fresh ideas within this tiny town government body. Stoneham, is a small village township, located just north of Boston, and it still preserves the purest democratic open town meeting form of government. 

To my surprise the story, called 'Understanding a Political traffic Jam'. caught fire! I was so pleased to witness the excitement within the discourse. Even though at times, it approached the precipitous edge of the emotional height of a grammar school argument. Regardless, watching the evolution of this discussion excited each of the participants. The raw passion of the readers within the story thread, was impressive.  

The central thought to the written text was targeted at our basic principals of democracy. I intentionally prodded the issue of the simple democratic 'right of free petition'.

 Ironically, a similar story simultaneously appeared. Massachusetts State Senator Richard Ross, filed Senate Bill 787, for a constituent in his district. Senator Ross, clearly understands the value of citizen participation within the legislative process stating, he does not support the bill.

"When a constituent requested that I file a free petition on his behalf, I did so," Ross said in a statement on his Facebook page. "While the proposal is not one that I support, I do support his right to participate in state government."

 A couple of weeks ago, I cordially requested the Stoneham Board of Selectmen to open a 'Special Town Meeting', on May 5th. This request hoped to discuss three extremely important town wide issues. I presented the selectmen the articles with over 400 signatures of Stoneham registered voters. They still refused! 
Yesterday, we filed over 1,000 signatures from registered voters requiring the Special Meeting to take place, without the 'town fathers' blessing. To date, Selectman Tom Boussy, and Ann Marie O'Neill, both have yet to add their signature of support endorsing the rights of the citizenry to participate in their government!

The political minimum standard for any elected official is to remember that you were elected to represent, not dictate to the people. This form of political obstructionism must STOP.  For over my 40 years of political involvement I have often reflected upon the words of our sixteenth President Lincoln, who professed, " a government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth".  I studied this, not at Harvard, or Oxford Universities, I learnt this in the sixth grade of government class.

Let's get back to basics, shall we?  I shall continue to proudly fly my American flag in Stoneham, MA, a community incorporated in 1725, in the heart of liberty, over fifty years before our nation was born.

  PAUL JOHN MAISANO