Keep Menino’s spirit alive

Boston mourns the passing of its beloved former mayor, Thomas Menino. Menino, who served the city for 21 years, died on Thursday morning at the age of 71, less than a year after he stepped down after his fifth term and announced his cancer diagnosis. The funeral Mass was held yesterday in Hyde Park, where Menino was born and raised, after a funeral procession that visited all of Menino’s favorite Boston sites. On Sunday, thousands of people came in the cold rain to see his casket. Menino was a prolific politician among his peers, but first and foremost a man of the city and its people.

Menino was both Boston’s longest serving and first Italian mayor. He was known for his endearing thick Boston accent, big heart and dedication to the small details of daily life in Boston. According to the Boston Common, Menino left office with a 74 percent approval rating among city residents, and nearly half of those residents claim to have met him personally. According to Tufts Political Science Professor Jeffery Berry, Menino’s beloved status stemmed from “a combination of competence and a demeanor that evokes every man.”

Menino was a charismatic leader who prioritized making concrete improvments to Bostonians’ way of life. He once said that “visionaries don’t get things done.” This pragmatic outlook, which helped pioneer the drastic development of the Seaport district in South Boston, earned him the nickname of urban mechanic.

Menino championed LGBTQ rights, famously refusing to to attend Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade when it barred pro-LGBTQ groups and instead choosing to march proudly in the Boston Pride Parade.

Menino also came out strong for his city in its time of crisis. In the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Menino, who had been hospitalized three days earlier for a broken leg, checked himself out early to support his city. At an interfaith service, he stated: “We are one Boston. No adversity, no challenge, nothing can tear down the resilience in the heart of this city and its people.”

This quote encapsulates Tom Menino’s charismatic and gritty spirit. This election season, we hope that all contenders will strive towards Menino’s legacy of commitment to his people and love for his city.