At Symphony Hall in downtown Springfield Saturday night, Governor Deval Patrick made history, holding an inaugural event there as part of a celebration as he enters office. The crowd was feeling the love, and appeared to savor every little tidbit of healing and optimism that it could glean from Patrick’s words. MassLive.com has the full video of his speech.
Patrick referred lightly to notes that he slid out of his inside jacket pocket, once he had reached the podium and courteously thanked the sign-language interpreter posted nearby. "Good evening, everyone," he said, and the crowd responded heartily, "Good evening!"
"Now that’s a Western Massachusetts welcome," Patrick said. He encouraged the audience to engage in our communities at the most fundamental levels, saying essentially that we are the change that we want to see in the world.
"All over this Commonwealth," he said, "and in fact, all over this country, people are hungry for a sense of community. They are ready to see a stake in each other’s dreams and struggles as well as our own. They have been waiting for leadership that calls that out."
So relevant were the governor’s words that I thought he might go so far as to mention the city’s recent challenges stemming from a gunfight that broke out early on New Year’s Day at Kennedy Fried Chicken on Main Street.
Since the incident, in which several people were injured and one man was killed, the broader community’s sore points have been exploited and explored to various degrees in the media—not necessarily solving the problems of chronic crime, but at least attacking them roundly, nipping at the problems’ feet. Springfield Police Commissioner Edward Flynn has gone on the crime-fighting offensive by talking bluntly of the lengthy arrest records of some involved in the shooting; Mothers on a Mission has gone on the crime-fighting defensive by announcing that this kind of exposure does not offer tools for transformation for loved ones mired in criminal circles. The media sets them up in opposition, but the reality may be more that they’re talking about flip sides of the same coin.
But Governor Patrick took no such opportunity to give his message of unity and grassroots engagement a local, timely spin. He stayed, perhaps appropriately, a little bit aloof from all that, still riding on the waves of the idealistic messages conveyed during his campaign. Not that there’s anything wrong with a dose of idealism.
Other highlights: Springfield’s own Vanessa Ford sang a soul-bolstering rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," and Mayor Charles Ryan offered an introductory speech, upstaging everyone with his passion for the city. (Writer Andrew Varnon, who sat two rows behind me, reflects on Ryan’s talk in a blog post today.) A 12-year-old Boy Scout ran up on stage before the governor departed to grab his autograph, and wound up with a kiss on the head to boot.
Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray lauded Mayor Ryan, saying, "The city looks great tonight." Congressman Richard Neal and MassMutual vice president of community relations Ronald Copes also spoke. Copes announced MassMutual’s effort to support the American Red Cross, which this season is helping hundreds of families displaced by a record number of fires. Copes sounded a plea to give to the needy, and a collection was set up at the door, portrayed as a means for "civic engagement right here, tonight." Volunteer for disaster relief by attending a training at 6:00 pm tomorrow.
With all that hope, optimism and positive energy, the city sure did look good.
