Voice of the people still what matters most

For me, one of the few benefits of the government-imposed coronavirus restrictions, has been the chance to talk with the many newcomers to Boston, especially young adults who I regularly meet on the streets, in stores and buses. These relative newcomers are people I probably never would have met if not for the massive business shutdowns causing so many to stay home from work.

Yes, we still might have had some problems about late night parties and noise and parking, but because of a good working relationship with our elected officials and the police, both longtime neighbors and the new ones are experiencing more positive relationships, which has begun to improve things.

But reopening public school remains a serious issue facing parents in Boston today. I hear more concern about this than just about any other topic. Conflicting medical information about the coronavirus broadcast almost every day has not helped ease tension among parents. But neither has all the racial tension and protests we see on TV, which Boston has been fortunate to escape, not to mention all the political division taking place in much of America.

We often hear political operatives and the national media stress the influence of money in political elections, but I believe that an enlightened voter holds the key to a stable and vibrant community.

I remember when we pulled Boston together years after the ugly school busing crisis, when people began to vote in record numbers, beginning in 1983. It was that campaign in which contributions from the wealthy and powerful special interests were practically non-existent. Mel King and I answered to average working class people. And their vote and voice made a big difference in uniting the city of Boston. Later, a national AIDS/HIV epidemic, unlike today’s coronavirus crisis, brought residents and our health care community together in a model partnership that saved countless lives. Neighborhoods could not be ignored and essential city services became a priority at City Hall.

America today has a health care and educational crisis at both our universities and public schools. And our national economy will only improve when government works together to find viable solutions to these critical issues. We didn’t solve the busing problem or the AIDS crisis in Boston in the ’80s and ’90s with partisan, divisive rhetoric, but with people talking to each other and working together. Admittedly, at first, our political policies, like the distribution of clean needles to help stop the spread of AIDS/ HIV, as well as a bold new integration proposal for Boston public housing developments, were questioned, but they helped save the city.

Our City of Boston Housing Development proposal, despite some predictions of havoc and violence, did not result in any violence or community chaos like the federal school busing order of 1974 did. The public and tenants acted responsibly and authorities acted professionally. This I’m sure is what will happen in Boston in moving forward in solving the life and death issues facing us today.

Yes, the involvement and voice of the people is still what matters most in America today.

But we must exercise it more often.