Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

In a square mile of Delhi, one can encounter hundreds of religions if you count sub sects too. In most Asian faiths Delhi has played a significant cultural-economic-social role. That got me wondering what I would encounter in the 4 square miles of Lexington. 

If Lexington is to have a dominant religion, I hope it is Democracy. Democracy as practised in its purest form (by the, of the, for the people). In my opinion, access to knowledge is one of the biggest obstacles to its practice. In the broadest sense education helps build access. But in a small town governance sense, quite often, it’s ‘people in the know’ who may restrict access thus creating barriers to entry. This is largely possible because where is the Idiot’s Guide to election campaigning or town governance?

Select Board member Joe Pato, Town Meeting member Tom Shiple, and School Committee member Larry Freeman are three exemplary men who freely share their expertise and understanding of how the town and its people function. They do the grassroots work of democracy, seeing each person as an equal stakeholder of Lexington, regardless whether they arrived on the Mayflower or Route 76 bus.

All three men give our town the gift of compassion, patience, and wicked smahts. 

Joe is the architect of an online system which allowed annual town meeting to function seamlessly through Covid. Just one of his many acts of service. Tom brings his analytical brain to bear on the simple (whether the blind corner is safe for pedestrians and cyclists), to the complex (town zoning)! And Larry? He brings a brand of courage and fresh perspective that often astounds me. Every time Larry begins to speak at a meeting, I learn something new. 

But their key gift to democracy? They invite newcomers into the work, encourage you when things appear dark, and they share: credit, opportunities and their hard earned privilege. They have been colleagues, friends and mentors. 

In gratitude to the three wise men of Lexington, 

Deepika Sawhney

(Vice Chair of School Committee till March 2025, Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member)

Resources:

Joe Pato: https://joepato.org

Larry Freeman: https://www.larry4lexington.com/home

Tom Shiple: https://lexobserver.org/2024/01/30/thomas-shiple/

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