The last couple of weeks have been a bit hard in the old mill city. We had a riot at a downtown restaurant, and it has led to a lot of snickering from a lot of people who don’t much care for the city, and a lot of consternation for those that love it.
Tonight, once again, I remembered why I’m so proud to make my home in Lowell. Tonight, I had the opportunity attend a reception to say goodbye to my friend Michael Creasey as he heads off to Woodstock Vermont, and then stay from the hockey game – UMass Lowell vs. Boston University.
Of course, all the Lowelluminati were out in force, from members of the city council, the mayor, Congresswoman Tsongas, the city manager, historians, park rangers, the Chancellor of UML, deans, professors, local business owners, and many other citizens of this grand olde towne. Amidst a joyful celebration of a real friend of the city who will be greatly missed, they all talked about working together, and a shared vision moving forward. To be honest, I’m not one to be impressed with politics or politicians – an let’s face it, any event of this sort is essentially a political one – but there was enough truth that it is hard to be cynical about real success.
After the reception, I noticed another sort of miracle at the game. Thousands of people, many of them students at the university, but aso hundreds of Lowell’s youth, hundreds of parents, hundreds of hockey fans all sat down together to cheer for a great hockey team worthy of celebration. Thousands enjoyed these 20 young men who proudly wear the name of this city on their chests, that go play an exhilarating sport at the very highest level, and that represent our community in the best possible way.
The miracle was the electric atmosphere in the Tsongas Center, and watching these thousands of Lowellelians host a couple of hundred rabid Boston University fans so cordially. There we chants back and forth – there was huge cheering, but even when Lowell lost, the BU fans were treated well. As the young men of both teams shook hands on the ice, the Lowell fans were gracious in defeat.
Realizing, after a terrible week upset about the riot on Middle Street, this is the kind of night that brings us back together. 105,000 people live in this historic city on this beautiful river in the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 105,000 people, 100% of which are minorities. 105,000 people whose heritage comes from all over the globe. Irish and French. Cambodian and Indian. Puerto Rican and Portugese. Dominican and Nigerian. Laotion and Polish. Greek and Iraqi. Rich and Poor. Buddhists and Church of Christ, Jews and Catholics, Taoists and Atheists and Episcoples and Methodists and Baptists and Muslims and Hindus. Artists and Bankers. Insurance agents and Professors. Park Rangers and Police Officers. Restauranteurs and Mechanics.
We work together. We sing together. We dance together. We paint together. 105,000 people who live the city motto, “Art is the Handmaid of Human Good.”
No, Lowell’s not perfect. There are drugs and gangs and crime. There’s unemployment and graffiti and drunks and homelessness. It’s a city, and that’s part and parcel with having 105,000 people. But let me be clear to every person that snickers the name of this city – in the city diversity isn’t a goal, it’s a fact of life. In this city, tolerance doesn’t mean “I will put up with all the folks who are different”, it means we know, and are grateful, that “My community will put up with the ways I am different.” In Lowell, we discriminate proudly – we don’t want people who riot. We discriminate against those that refuse to treat our citizens and public servants respectfully. And in Lowell, you can be sure that we’ll be judgmental if you spit out the name of our city like it’s beneath you.
Lowell is a blue-collar town. 105,000 people work hard here. Tens of thousands spend hundreds of hours every year trying to educate themselves. Their money and time is spent in celebration and creation of art and literature, theater and dance, music and sculpture. There’s no time for pretense, no room for the inauthentic.
To the 150 rioters, I’m ashamed of you. Lowell pride is real, and it is backed up by nearly 200 years of history, and 105,000 people who treat each other with respect.