The race is over and the result is one I agree with. It is an all or nothing result for the candidate but how the election impacts the myriad of issues facing the nation remains to be seen. One of those issues is gay marriage. For the moment the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision has been met nationally with anger, resentment and voter backlash. It cannot be said with certainty that it was the turning point in the election. It is apparent that it had to be one of the items which has been referred to as the "moral values" component of the Bush victory.
As a citizen of the state I have many misgivings about the the way in which this decision was arrived at and then the subsequent lack of spine exhibited by the state legislature in addressing it in a way that they had to stand up and be counted. They neither acted forthrightly before or after the decision. A 4 to 3 vote of the Supreme Court gave them cover and they are pleased to hide under it.
The question placed before the court was "whether, consistent with the Massachusetts Constitution, the commonwealth may deny the protections, benefits, and obligations conferred by civil marriage to two individuals of the same sex who wish to marry," according to the majority opinion. "We conclude that it may not." The court went on to say "Barred access to the protections, benefits and obligations of civil marriage, a person who enters into an intimate, exclusive union with another of the same sex is arbitrarily deprived of membership in one of our community's most rewarding and cherished institutions,"
The central issue for me is not one of religion or procreation. It is about the simplest of things in the human condition. Love, friendship, companionship and all the wonderful things in marriage that enrich a persons life, as a result of the court decision, are now affirmed in the gay community under law. In addition there are many aspects of estate, insurance, privacy, and access law which are now non discriminatory. Look around for a minute. In the family, in the circle of friends and in the workplace, if you can't see that gay people occupy places in our lives then we are not looking very hard. It is simply not right that they should be denied the rights accorded everyone else.
I have no background to argue the finer points of the law as a protagonist or antagonist on the issue. However, I do recognize inequality when I see it and it was time for this issue to be addressed in Massachusetts and the hard task of arriving at an acceptable result in the nation as a whole has begun. It has begun because Massachusetts has placed the issue front and center in the national consciousness.
Resistance will continue and acceptance in some quarters may never be realized however we still have some in the nation that believe women and blacks shouldn't have the vote. In the end the country will be better for having confronted the issue.
As a state we have had a full year. The achievement of our sports team, and having a favorite son in the race for president has riveted our attention. We have had our citizens on display all over the nation working diligently to affect the course of our people. This is the third time in my lifetime that we have sent forth a citizen to try and become the leader of the greatest nation on earth. Each time a large cadre of our citizens has mobilized to challenge our country. We love the Red Sox but politics is really our favorite sport. John Kerry may have lost the race but he ran a good hard race and when the end came he accepted defeat in a way that brought dignity and graciousness back to an election process which was so desperately in need of both after the 2000 result.
Massachusetts is a very small place but it is big in heart and determination. We are a community of thinkers and doers. Come here and go to college or receive world class medical treatment or work on the cutting edges of science. I am never surprised that we are pushing the envelope in any area. I am proud to live here.
