Of the five statues near the statehouse, my favorite is John Winant. At the dedication in 2017, I most remember three speeches. The British consul general spoke of British citizens to this day remembering, while he was U.S.. ambassador, Winant’s fearlessness, compassion and care during the bombing of London. The sculptor, J. Brett Grill, spoke of showing Winant’s compassion for others by showing him giving his money and overcoat to Concord citizens during the Great Depression, hence the outreaching hand and the bench. He also informed us that he firmly fixed Winant’s eyes on the governors’ corner office so he can keep an eye on all future governors.
The third speech was our current governor, early in his first term, speaking at length about himself. I’ve always thought that Lynne Olson’s book Citizens of London (Winant was one of the three key characters) would be a great movie. One of my favorite comedy movies is Night at the Museum in which stuffed animals and statues come alive at night. I loved the part Robin Williams plays bringing Rough Rider Teddy Roosevelt to life. Wouldn’t it be fun if this Halloween night the State Library statue could come to life? Winant could be interviewed on the issues of the day and why he chose people over politics. Since he kept an un-blinking eye on our current governor for all three terms I’d ask him what he thought, and what we should do in the coming election. I think he would say, enough is enough, and vote for Tom Sherman.
Nick Perencevich
Concord