Today is April 20, a very important day in my hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, as well as in several other states. The third Monday in April is called “Patriots’ Day” because it commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775 in Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy (now called Arlington), Massachusetts. The City of Boston celebrates the holiday by hosting the finish of the Boston Marathon, and the Boston Red Sox play an unusual morning-start Major League Baseball game at Fenway Park.
Because of COVID-19, there will be no Boston Marathon or Red Sox game today, but it is still a time to remember and honor our patriots — the New England kind like John Quincy Adams, our first U.S. Minister to Russia (1809-1814), and later patriots from the United States, Russia, and our other allies who led us to victory in World War II 75 years ago.
I would like to thank our modern-day patriots around the world today who are battling COVID-19: the front-line healthcare professionals and emergency service workers; those who work in grocery stores and pharmacies; police and fire officials who are keeping us safe; and the teachers who are educating our children in an online, virtual environment.
I also want to thank all of you who are practicing physical distancing so we can flatten the curve and go back to running marathons and attending baseball games as soon as possible. Stay safe and Boston Strong!
