Elected officials gathered at the Puerto Rican Veterans memorial Monday to call for unity during a wreath laying ceremony in observance of Memorial Day.
“Decades ago, America opened its doors to immigrants from around the globe,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins. “Unfortunately, we have an administration down in Washington that does not recognize how much blood, sweat and tears most of them have shed for this country.”
The bronze statue in Puerto Rican Veterans Square is the only such monument to Puerto Rican soldiers in the United States.
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The annual wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial park in the South End highlights the contributions of Puerto Rican veterans, who have fought in U.S. conflicts going back to the Revolutionary War, when soldiers under the command of Bernardo de Gálvez fought against the British. The memorial is the first monument to Puerto Rican soldiers in the United States.
The speakers on Monday referred to the increasingly divisive rhetoric from President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress and the Senate, many of whom have spoken out against immigration and sought to demonize immigrant communities.
Mayor Martin Walsh echoed the theme of unity in his remarks.
The bronze statue in Puerto Rican Veterans Square is the only such monument to Puerto Rican soldiers in the United States.
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“We are one American people, undivided,” he said.
“All of our brothers and sisters under the American flag deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and equality,” said U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano. “It’s somewhat sad that that has to be said today, but it has to.”
Noting that less than 50 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2016 presidential election, Tompkins said voter apathy is partly to blame for the divisive atmosphere in Washington.
“You get what you deserve,” he said. “You see what we’ve got now. It’s not working.”
While voter turnout in Massachusetts may be lower than normal during this year’s Sept. 4 primary, which comes a day after the Labor Day holiday, there was no shortage of campaign activity during Memorial Day observations Monday.
At the Puerto Rican monument were four of the five candidates running for Suffolk County District Attorney: Rachael Rollins, Evandro Carvalho, Greg Henning and Shannon McAuliffe. Also present was Jonathan Santiago, who is running against incumbent 9th Suffolk District Rep. Byron Rushing. Other political figures present included Rushing, Walsh, District 2 City Councilor Ed Flynn and 12th Suffolk Rep. Dan Cullinane.
The bronze statue in Puerto Rican Veterans Square is the only such monument to Puerto Rican soldiers in the United States.
-Banner Photo
Not one to let a good opportunity pass by, Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Square Association Vice President Tony Molina cornered Walsh before he spoke, pressing for support for a cast-iron archway to span the entrance to the triangular park, which sits at the corner of Washington and West Dedham streets. Walsh agreed to help raise the funds for the project.
