Lt. Governor's Civic Summit Remarks

Much of the Lt. Governor's remarks were off-the-cuff and inspired by the day. Below you will find the prepared remarks that he gave.

Remarks of Lt. Governor Timothy P. Murray

Massachusetts Civic Engagement SummitDCU Center, WorcesterNovember 16, 2007 Hello, and thank you for being here.It’s fantastic to see so many people in this room—I think the crowd is double what we’d hoped for, and that is a very good sign. As you know, Worcester is my hometown. I grew up just a mile or so from this hall. I come from a big family. I’m the oldest of five children, and we have relatives all over the city. Growing up, the extended Murray family would gather frequently in kitchens, backyards, or on the porches of three deckers, and I’d listen to my aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents debate the latest city issue or the prospects of the coming state campaign. Civic engagement wasn’t abstract to us. It wasn’t work left for others.It was real. And we understood that it mattered in our lives who got elected, whether it was the state rep, the city councilor, or the leadership of a union. One of the biggest lessons of my youth was seeing that individuals could make a difference in their community. Whether it was volunteering on a campaign, or helping an older neighbor shovel their driveway, or collecting cans for the food pantry,or any of a hundred other things, large and small, that I saw friends and relatives doing year after year, I learned by their example that communities thrive when ordinary folks are actively involved. I was taught that if you didn’t step up to do your part, then you weren’t doing the right thing.

I guess that’s what drove me into public service. But, that’s not what’s kept me here.The reason I’m still involved is because, in spite of all the challenges and cynicism we face, I know that it is possible to solve problems and get things accomplished that really do matter. So that brings us to why we’re here today. Massachusetts in 2007 is not the Commonwealth of my youth, or yours for that matter. Civic engagement, while alive in many places, is not as strong as it needs to be. Voter participation, especially at the local level, is so low that it borders on tragic, and that’s just one symptom of the larger problem of apathy and indifference. Can you imagine what would happen if, on game day, only 25 percent of the Patriots showed up to play? So our challenge is clear, but it is by no means insurmountable. I am an optimist by nature and I know there is reason to be hopeful. I’ve seen it time and time again, throughout my life, that when hard working people of good will come together in a spirit of cooperation, problems get solved. Even those that seemed intractable can be solved. There are many good and talented people working hard every day to improve the quality of life in their communities. In this very room are countless examples of that.They don’t always make the headlines, but they are doing great work.

And here’s the little secret that we all know, but that we need to spread around—getting involved in the community is usually a lot of fun. And at the end of the day people who are engaged in these efforts have a genuine sense of satisfaction, because they know they did their best in pursuit of a worthy goal. It doesn’t get much better than that. So the task is now ours. To foster and grow that which we all know in our hearts to be true, that in our common interest, our Commonwealth thrives, and it’s up to all of us to get involved. In that effort, there is no better leader than the man I’m about to introduce. Over the past year, I’ve traveled to every corner of this state, and I’ve met with individuals and groups from a wide range of interests and perspectives. And what is very clear to me is that people, regardless of their party affiliation, are seeing a new level of energy with this administration. There is a new level of commitment. A new level of civic engagement. A new sense of determination to address the tough issues, deal with the challenges, and position Massachusetts for renewal. And it is the leadership of Governor Patrick that is making the difference. His work…his life…his leadership, is inspiring people of all ages, from all walks of life, to take back their politics, take back their communities, and step up to build a move civil and compassionate society. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the Governor of our Commonwealth, Deval Patrick.

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