I expected to be proud this summer of the
accomplishments of my “sometime" hometown, to see Sydney set the world on
its ear with the best Summer Olympics ever.
I did NOT expect Philadelphia to shine as it did during the Republican
Convention, which just ended.
It feels as all of us in the Greater
Philadelphia area have grown at least an inch, we are walking so tall with
pride over what so many people
accomplished. To anyone who knows Philadelphia, it borders
on the miraculous.
It took one person to believe. That person was Ed Rendell, and I thank him
for the inspired lunacy that made him think Philadelphia - who boo for Santa -
could pull it off. It took an entire
metropolitan area covering parts of three states to make it come true.
The most remarkable thing to come out of
the convention was how Police Commissioner John F. Timoney handled the same "demonstrators"
who created havoc in Seattle and in Washington, D.C. This man went from seeing his police force
condemned less than a month ago for beating up a carjacker to having everyone
singing praises for how they successfully defused a potential powder keg,
people just itching for a fight. The
sight of our police force - including the commissioner - on mountain bikes
instead of on motorcycles, police cruisers or horses is a sight I will never
forget.
People did not know who the older gent was
on a bike. He even got roughed up by
some of the protestors, who did not know whose bike they were fooling around
with.
The city did itself proud and I am so
happy. Pete, who was born and bred in
the Philadelphia briar patch, would have been so pleased with it all.
To Commissioner Timoney, the people who
pulled off a "flawless" (Mayor Street's new favorite word)
convention, all the hotel staffs who welcomed the delegates, the people -
including Becky Cooper - who volunteered time and energy, the citizens of
Philadelphia who showed the world it really is the City of Brotherly Love, I
give a hearty, "Good on ya, mates!"
Next up - SYDNEY!
Love to one and all - International Grammie
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