Common clarity

Why I felt lucky to be in the middle of Boston today

I've been listening to CNN, on and off, all day. The news from Israel is horrifying. The barbaric cruelty of the Hamas terrorist attacks on civilians, the unspeakable pain of family members forcing themselves before cameras, the terrible chaos and slaughter at the music festival in the desert, it is all overwhelming. It is just beginning.

In the middle of this sad day, I took a walk. I ambled through the Boston Public Garden, crossed Charles Street, and headed uphill toward the Park Street T stop. It was something to do on an (almost) sunny afternoon. I had no particular plan except to be outside for a while. And there, on my right, I saw a large crowd and waving flags, and I heard a young woman speaking over a microphone. She was talking about people she knows who are in Israel. Her voice broke and the crowd encouraged her. By this time I'd left the asphalt path to see what was going on. This is what I saw:

Above the heads of the people in the crowd, you can see some slender columns. That's the Parkman Bandstand. Here's a picture showing the bandstand and the people gathered there to speak:

I heard Sen. Ed Markey speaking emphatically, that familiar Boston accent decrying the horror of the Hamas attack.

But the moment I will remember from today: Mayor Michelle Wu's brief address was truly moving. She spoke from her heart. She wasn't choosing her words to please anyone. She conveyed heartfelt grief and outrage. She made it clear that Boston shared that pain. Mayor Wu reached every soul in that crowd, I am confident. 

Here is Mayor Wu:

Every level of government was there on that bandstand. Governor Maura Healey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Rep. Jake Auchincloss. There were rabbis and community leaders and students. All the speakers had just one message, and it was strong and clear: We unequivocally condemn these heinous, hate-filled attacks on civilians. 

I'm glad I witnessed this clarity today. I was also moved that it happened on the Boston Common. It's the oldest public park in the US, the place where the first subway was built, a thriving, bustling, beautiful public site. This was a public moment that had been quickly organized. It showed that government officials are capable of being solemn, sincere, and brief.