Michael Dukakis Picks Up Trash Around Boston

Michael Dukakis

Pol Light Moment #152 occurred on August 10, 2015, when Michael Dukakis was seen picking up trash on his walk around Boston by attorney Sarah E. Godfrey. Michael Dukakis served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and 1983 to 1991. Dukakis was also a candidate for President in 1988.

Michael Dukakis has been picking up trash in public areas on his walks around his hometown of Boston for 25 years. He has been seen by others on several occasions and on August 10, 2015, attorney Sarah E. Godfrey met him while he was picking up trash. She later penned a letter about meeting the man who was a Governor for 12 years as he was picking up trash.

Unreal: #Boston woman meets Michael Dukakis picking up trash at @MBTA station. #mapoli #atleasttechnically pic.twitter.com/US9pRDtMuU

— Jack Newsham (@TheNewsHam) August 14, 2015

Michael Dukakis said in 2016 about his practice of picking up trash, "It doesn't hurt if people see incumbent majors and ex-governors cleaning the place up. And you hope that others will be inspired to do the same.... What makes my day is when somebody comes along and says, 'Now you got me doin' it (Christian Science Monitor, July 28, 2016).'"

For more information on Micahel Dukakis's practice of picking up trash you can read these articles.

• A Former Governor is Picking Up Your Trash (Boston.com, Eric Levenson, August 14, 2015)
• This Former Governor Once Ran for President and He's Been a Volunteer Trash Collector for 25 Years (Upworthy.com, Thom Dunn, August 24, 2015)

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Michael Dukakis is in the Public Domain.

Kennedy and Nixon at 1960 Al Smith Dinner

Pol Light Moment #151 occurred on October 19, 1960, when the two people running for President of the United States shared the stage to support Catholic charities and disadvantaged children. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were joint keynote speakers at the 17th Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York in 1960, held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Alfred E. Smith was a former Governor of New York, who was the first Catholic Presidential candidate (Wikipedia Page: Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner).

Both speakers reflected on the election of 1928 when Democrat Al Smith was defeated by Republican Herbert Hoover. You can relive the evening by reading the text of both keynote speakers on the American Presidency Project website. A historical photo of the two speakers was published by the New York Daily Post.

Link to John F. Kennedy's Full Remarks

"When this happens then the bitter memory of 1928 will begin to fade, and all that will remain will be the figure of Al Smith, large against the horizon, true, courageous, and honest, who in the words of the cardinal, served his country well, and having served his country well, nobly served his God. [Applause.]"--John F. Kennedy

Link to Richard Nixon's Full Remarks

"And, so, in conclusion, I would add only this last thought: Many years have passed since the year 1928. Many memories have become less bitter through the years. Three weeks from today either Senator Kennedy or I will be the President-elect of this country, and then we will go our separate courses in the years to come. I've been trying to think how I could best close my remarks and refer to him and refer to me, and I go back to the campaign of 1928. Herbert Hoover was elected. Al Smith lost. But both of them lived many, many years longer, and both of them, the longer they lived, gained love and affection from the American people - and I would only hope tonight that, however this election turns out, Senator Kennedy and I in the years ahead will be able to conduct ourselves with the dignity, the decency which earned the esteem and the love of the American people for the two men who were engaged in that great campaign of 1928."--Richard Nixon

More information about the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner can be found at http://www.alsmithfoundation.org/thedinner.html#about. For other posts on John F. Kennedy search with the "John F. Kennedy" label at Pol Light. For other posts on Richard Nixon search with the "Richard Nixon" label at Pol Light.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Edward Brooke Raises Male Breast Cancer Awareness

Edward Brooke

Pol Light Moment #128 occurred on June 4, 2003, when Edward Brooke (1919-2015) started to raise awareness for male breast cancer. Edward Brooke served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1967-1979. Prior to that he had served as the Attorney General of Massachusetts from 1963-1967.

Edward Brooke was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and in September 2002 had a double mastectomy. After a period of recovery and reflection on June 4, 2003, Brooke started to share his story about male breast cancer in order to raise awareness for this rare condition. He would continue to speak on that subject as he had opportunity for the next 12 years of his life.

Edward Brooke said the following in June 2003 about raising awareness of male breast cancer:

I want to produce some male breast cancer awareness on a national level. I'm a very private person, but if I have to give up my privacy to save a life, then I am willing to do that. Because if you have breast tissue, you can get breast cancer. Don't forget that (Edward Brooke as quoted in USA Today, Sen. Brooke Advocates Male Breast Cancer Awareness, June 24, 2003).

The American Cancer Society indicates that 1 in 1,000 men will develop breast cancer (Dr. Sharon Giordano, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Tackling the Rare and Under-Researched Area of Male Breast Cancer, January 23, 2015). Men are less likely than women to get screened for breast cancer because it is a rare disease for them. This can make the prognosis more dire and stresses the importance of famous men like Edward Brooke raising awareness of breast cancer.

The following are some links on Edward Brooke and his crusade for male breast cancer awareness.

• The New York Times, Surprise Roll for Ex-Senator: Male Breast Cancer Patient, Lynette Clemetson, June 10, 2003.
• USA Today, Sen. Brooke Advocates Male Breast Cancer Awareness, June 24, 2003.
• Beliefnet, Famous Men Who Battled Breast Cancer.

Edward Brooke has been featured on other posts at Pol Light. To view them search the blog with the label "Edward Brooke".

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Edward Brooke is in the Public Domain.

Edward Brooke is First Popularly Elected African American Senator

Edward Brooke

Pol Light Moment #127 occurred on January 10, 1967, when Edward Brooke (1919-2015) took office as the first popularly elected African American to the United States Senate. Edward Brooke served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1967-1979. Prior to that he had served as the Attorney General of Massachusetts from 1963-1967.

The following news story gives tributes to Edward Brooke after his passing on January 3, 2015.

More information about Edward Booke is available at these links.

• Daily Kos, January 10, 1967 - An Important First in American Political History, January 11, 2012
• Washington Post, Edward Burke, first African American Popularly Elected to U.S. Senate, Dies at 95, January 3, 2015
• Wikipedia: Edward Brooke

Edward Brooke has been featured on other posts at Pol Light. To view them search the blog with the label "Edward Brooke".

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Edward Brooke is in the Public Domain.

Edward Kennedy Gives Eulogy for His Brother Robert

Edward "Ted" Kennedy

Pol Light Moment #123 occurred on June 8, 1968, when Edward Kennedy (1932-2009) gave a heartfelt and emotional eulogy at the funeral of his brother Robert F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated and died on June 6, 1968. Edward Kennedy served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1962-2009.

The following is a video recording of Edward Kennedy's eulogy for his brother Robert.

The following are the closing words of this eulogy.

My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. 

Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world. 

As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.  (Edward Kennedy)

(Source: American Rhetoric: Edward M. Kennedy At Public Memorial Service for Robert F. Kennedy)

Robert F. Kennedy has been featured on other Pol Light posts. To view all Robert Kennedy posts search with the label Robert Kennedy at Pol Light blog.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

 "Ted Kennedy, official photo portrait crop" by Ted_Kennedy,_official_photo_portrait.jpg: United States Senatederivative work: Tktru (talk) - Ted_Kennedy,_official_photo_portrait.jpg. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.

John Adams Prays Blessing for White House

John Adams

Pol Light Moment #113 happened on November 2, 1800, when John Adams prayed a blessing for the White House. John Adams was the 2nd President of the United States. He has served as President of the United States from 1797-1801.

John Adams was the first President of the United States to reside in the White House, which was originally called the President's House (History.com, November 1, 1800). He moved in on November 1, 1800, when parts of the interior rooms were still unfinished. At the time one had to get to the White House by traveling through a forest of undeveloped land in what is modern day Washington D.C.

On November 2, 1800, during his second day in the White House, John Adams wrote this in a letter to his wife Abigail offering this prayer of blessing on the house.

"I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."

(Source: Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 November 1800 [electronic edition]. Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/)

Franklin Roosevelt appreciated this prayer so much that he had Adams' blessing carved into the mantel in the State Dining Room of the White House (World History Project, November 1, 1800).

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Image: The painting of John Adams is in the Public Domain.

Ann Romney Launches Center for Neurological Diseases

Mitt and Ann Romney

Pol Light Moment #105 was on October 14, 2014, when Ann Romney announced the formation of the Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases. Ann Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1998 and is the wife of Mitt Romney who has served as the Governor of Massachusetts and ran for President in 2012.

The Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases will be at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston Massachusetts and will help treat patients who have a variety of neurological conditions multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, and brain tumors. Treatment and global collaboration in research are also goals of the Ann Romney Center. Mitt and Ann Romney have also given an undisclosed monetary gift to start the fundraising for the Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases.

The following is a video describing the vision for the Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases.

Mitt Romney shared this on his Twitter on the day his wife launched her groundbreaking Ann Romney Center for Neurological Studies.

Dear Ann: You’ve come a long way… https://t.co/V2ffmM8i7s #AnnRomneyCenter
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 14, 2014

Here are some links to articles on the start of the Ann Romney Center for Neurological Diseases.

• Ann Romney Campaigning Hard for Medical Research, Boston Globe
• Ann Romney Launches New Center to study Neurological Diseases, LA Times
• Ann Romney Launches Neurological Center, Fox News

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Mitt Romney Helps Rescue Boaters

Mitt Romney

Pol Light Moment #88 happened on July 5, 2003, when Mitt Romney and his sons helped rescue boaters whose boat had taken on water. Mitt Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007 and has been a candidate for President of the United States in 2008 and 2012.

On the July 4th weekend in 2003, Mitt Romney and his sons were at their home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. On Saturday, July 5, 2003, they noticed a family in Lake Winnipesaukee who was in the water and had been forced to abandon their sinking boat.  Romney and his sons boarded a Jet Ski and went out in the lake to help rescue the family members, which included a family dog.

According to BuzzFeed.com, the situation was resolved in this way:

The Governor heaved the youngest two women onto his Jet Ski, a three-seater, and raced back to shore. The two Romney sons stayed with the rest of the family until the Governor returned to ferry the rest of the family, and their dog, safely to dry land (Andrew Kaczynski, February 27, 2012).

The following are some news articles on the Independence Day weekend in 2003, when Mitt Romney helped rescue stranded boaters.

• Massachusetts Governor Helps Rescue Boaters
• The Heroic Romney Rescue That, For Some Reason, The Campaign Doesn't Talk About
• Did You Know Mitt Romney Rescued NJ Family in Sinking Boat using a JETSKI? - K38 Water Safety

Mitt Romney has been featured on other Pol Light posts. To view all Mitt Romney posts search with Mitt Romney label at Pol Light.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

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Photo: The photo in this post is used from Wikipedia and is attributed to Cage Skidmore.

Scott Brown Shares About Being Abused as a Child

Scott Brown

Pol Light Moment #78 is when Scott Brown shared that he was abused as a child. The revelations were made public on February 17, 2011, in advance of a 60 Minutes interview Brown did later that week. They are also shared in Scott Brown's memoirs called Against All Odds: My Life of Hardships, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances.  Scott Brown served as a United States Senator for Massachusetts from 2010-2013. Prior to that he served 12 years in the State legislator in Massachusetts. 
Scott Brown revealed in 2011 that he was physically abused by his stepfathers and sexually abused by a summer camp counselor growing up as a child from a broken home. Scott Brown said, "It's taken 42 years to even talk about it. And I'm not out to settle any scores, but if I can help people certainly move forward with their lives by talking about it (CBS News, April 6, 2011)." Footage of the 60 Minutes interview where Scott Brown talked about his abuse are in this YouTube video. 

Scott Brown's revelation had an impact. It was revealed in April, 2011, that because of Scott Brown sharing his story an anonymous man came forward with allegations of similar sexual abuse at the same camp Brown had attended as a child (CBS News, April 6, 2011).  In addition, 13 former campers came forward stating they experienced abuse as well at the same camp (New York Times, April 12, 2011).

Here are some news articles on Scott Brown's revelation of childhood abuse.

• Scott Brown's story prompts new abuse allegation
• Scott Brown: I Was Molested as a Kid
• Senator Scott Brown’s searing childhood, and his improbable rise - The Boston Globe
• The Pros and Cons of Revealing Sexual Abuse

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo of Scott Brown is in the Public Domain.

John and Teresa Heinz Kerry Discuss Her Breast Cancer

Pol Light Moment #54 is when John Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry did the first public interview about Teresa's breast cancer diagnosis with Larry King on February 10, 2010.  John Kerry served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1985-2013. He is currently the Secretary of State of the United States.

In September, 2009, Teresa Heinz Kerry was diagnosed with breast cancer (Source). The following is the first public interview that the Kerrys did with Larry King of CNN. This interview on February 10, 2010 with the Kerry's is considered one of the select group of greatest interviews that Larry King has ever done (Source).

Teresa Heinz Kerry has stressed her opposition to the recommendations for mammography screening by the U.S. Preventative Health Task Force which said routine screenings of women were not needed until age 50 and then only on a biennial basis (Source). The following is the AP news story on Teresa Heinz Kerry's breast cancer and her feelings on screening standards. 

John Kerry has been featured on other posts at Pol Light. To view them search with the label John Kerry.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.
The above photo of John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry at John's swearing in as United States Secretary of State is in the Public Domain. 

John Kerry's Victory Over His Prostate Cancer

Pol Light Moment #24 is when John Kerry overcame his prostate cancer in 2003. John Kerry served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1985-2013. He is currently the Secretary of State of the United States.

John Kerry learned he had prostate cancer in December, 2002, when his physicians discovered a localized tumor at its very early stages. He had surgery on February 12, 2003 (Source). His experience raised public awareness of prostate cancer.

Former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliana said, "Senator Kerry is a good example to men to get an examination, get it early, keep getting it and then you'll pick it up at an early stage and you'll be able to do something about. That's the key to curing prostate cancer (Source)."

Here is a video of a speech where John Kerry speaks about his prostate cancer treatment at the Livestrong Summit in Austin, Texas on October 29, 2006. For more information see this article at mycanceradvisor.com.


Following his surgery in 2003, John Kerry resumed his duties as a United States Senator and also was a candidate for President of the United States in 2004. The way in which he bounced back from prostate cancer surgery and resumed a rigorous schedule offers hope to other healthy men who face the same condition.

Dr. Patrick C. Walsh, the Johns Hopkins University urologist who performed the operation on John Kerry declared the procedure a success and in 2004 noted that it was unlikely there would be any recurrence (Source).

For more information on John Kerry's prostate cancer read an article hosted by the Urological Sciences Research Foundation web repository at http://www.usrf.org/news/john_kerry.html.

John Kerry has been featured on other posts at Pol Light. To view them search with the label John Kerry.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of John Kerry is in the  Public Domain.

Mitt Romney Closes Bain Capital to Search for Runaway Teen

Mitt Romney

Pol Light Moment #12 is when Mitt Romney closed Bain Capital so he and others in the company could help search for a runaway teenage daughter of a co-worker at Bain. Mitt Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007 and has been a candidate for President of the United States in 2008 and 2012.

During the Summer of 1996, Robert Gay's 14 year old daughter Melissa ran away from her home in Connecticut and fled to New York City. Robert Gay worked with Mitt Romney who was CEO of Bain Capital in 1996. When hearing of Robert Gay's family situation, Mitt Romney closed Bain Capital and he and 50 Bain Capital employees went from Boston to New York to work to help find the girl.

Recalling the incident Mitt Romney explained, "I said let's close the firm, let's close the company – we were in Boston – and let's all of us fly down to New York and try to find her. So we closed the business, we went home and packed our things (Source)."

The following video features Mitt Romney recalling this incident at a political speech in March, 2012.



Melissa Gay was found safely in New Jersey and returned home. Robert Gay said regarding the 1996 incident that, "Mitt’s done a lot of things that people say are nearly impossible. But for me, the most important thing he’s ever done is to help save my daughter (Source)."

Mitt Romney has been featured on other Pol Light posts. To view all Mitt Romney posts search with Mitt Romney label at Pol Light.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

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Photo: The photo in this post is used from Wikipedia and is attributed to Cage Skidmore.