Boston vs. New York
By lefty
When it comes to hosting national political conventions the score is Boston 1 and New York coming to bat. Having just spent the past week in Boston covering the 2004 Democratic National Convention, I can report that Boston’s Police and Fire departments did a phenomenal job.
The officers on the street were professional and courteous. I personally saw some of Boston’s finest control and calm a few situations, which could have easily descended into chaos. Protesters, delegates, media, and celebrities all have their own agenda and are all interested in their own needs first. Boston’s finest rose to the occasion. They kept control of the city while allowing everyone their freedoms to express themselves and get the job done.
As for the Bostonians brave enough to stay in the city when they were fairly - and controversially - warned to get out while they could, well, they were friendly, helpful and generally in good spirits. This may have been because the Red Sox took two games out of three from the Yankees to start the week. Let’s hope that the Republican Convention in New York runs as smoothly as Boston. In this case we are rooting for New York — the police and fire departments that is.
