Massachusetts FOREVER!!

When I first moved to Massachusetts I was just going to college and gettin’ the hell outta dodge. Over 10 years later, I refuse to leave! I like to say that there’s a virtual electric fence of progressive politics around Massachusetts and it will forever be my state of residency. This is the BEST state in the union (US, you understand) and everyone who reads my blog in a non-ironic way should move here immediately. Immediately! Here are my top 4 reasons why:

1. Gay marriage.
2. State-sponsored health insurance for all (MassHealth rocks baby!).
3. Decriminalization of possession of marijuana under an ounce.
4. A long history of radical political actors thinking deep thoughts on this soil.

(Oh and btw, autumn in Massachusetts is gorgeous!)

CONTRAST: Yesterday, the neighboring state of Maine put the civil rights of a minority group on the ballot for the majority to vote on. Guess what? WE LOSE.

And it slaps me in face (again) how privileged I am.

In Massachusetts, in Boston, in my sweet little separatist bubble, living a lesbian feminist lifestyle is Whatever. I’ve purged the haters. So really, it’s no thang that I love the ladies. Or that I shun the menz. Wha-evs. No one cares. Here, in my beloved Massachusetts, we’ve had the right of same-sex marriage for over 5 years. It has NEVER been on the ballot, nor do I expect that it ever will be. It’s a done deal thanks to the Supreme Judicial Court’s Goodridge decision and Democratic control of the state legislature. Awwwww, yeah!

The rights of a minority group, the civil rights of ANY group really, should NEVER EVER be determined by the majority. In fact, every major civil rights victory in the history of this fucked-up nation has been won via judicial mandates. Do you think women or people of color would have the right to vote (or work on the free market) if we allowed white men to vote on it? NO. Would we have equal access to education? NO. Would interracial couples be allowed to marry? NO. Would women be allowed the “right” to birth control or abortion? NO. What if we allowed the populace to vote on whether taxes should be eliminated? BAD idea. Well, it’s not in the constitution (explicitly, that is). Taxes would be outlawed and vigilantes would rule the county; fire and violence would prevail. Roads would become impassable, bridges would fall, homelessness would become normal. In short, MAYHEM would ensue.

Duh. People are mean and stupid.

We must be saved from ourselves. Yes, its authoritarian and paternalistic. Domination of the masses: that’s the way forward. Yeah, I said it.