Values and Beliefs, Wilmington MA

9/11 Memorial in High School

Our community is located in Massachusetts, roughly 25 minutes north of Boston. It is the small town of Wilmington, your typical working class suburban neighborhood. There is virtually no cultural diversification in our quaint town. Over 90% of our residents are of European descent.

Despite living in one of the most liberal states in the country, every election season Republican candidates dominate our polls. Since our town is mainly Republican, Wilmington has many of the stereotypical Republican values.

One of these values is the importance of religion,  there are three churches all within one mile of the high school. Almost of the the students at Wilmington go through all the steps and end up being confirmed as a catholic. Another of these values, one of the apparent values, is our strong veneration for the war veterans of the nation, we have war memorials all over town, with three on and around the town common, as well as a plaque commemorating veterans within the high school, and even a 9/11 memorial within our high school courtyard.

4th of July Celebrations in the town common

One of the favorite qualities of the town is our various celebrations that include fireworks, parades, etc. Many of these festivities are, as previously mentioned, for the war veterans of the nation, specifically from our town. The WHS band participates in the upcoming memorial day parade, which is specifically orchestrated for those returning from active duty. Wilmington does suffer from the same problems that are typical of a small town and the mindset that comes with it, a lack of exciting activities, close mindedness and a whole lot of “townies” those that are born, in Wilmington and then never leave.

New Wilmington High School

This small town has also faced several challenges. We had difficulty with some of our town’s residents when the town voted on building the new high school. Many of the people against the building of a new high school were elderly people, who didn’t have any kids in the school system. However, this was eventually overcame and the new school was obviously built. Another challenge that this community faces is that there are many old infrastructures in the town, such as the Butters Row Bridge. Butters Row Bridge is a one lane, rickety old bridge that is on it’s last legs. Or it would be, if it had legs.

There are some houses around Wilmington that have lasted since colonial times, such as the house next to the Baldwin Apple statue. In my community, people do lots of community service, since its a graduation requirement. However, our community does need more support. We have a large heroin problem, which could be handled much better by the town of Wilmington.

In general though, the people of Wilmington form a strong and proud community who are able to bind together and accomplish great things.