On June 14, legislators from our dear state finally put to rest an amendment that would take away same-sex marriage rights in Massachusetts. I would like to thank my state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson and Rep. Liz Malia for standing up against this discriminatory amendment from the very beginning and all of the legislators who recognized that this is not a public issue.
The supporters of this amendment claimed that they were only asking to “let the people decide.” Leaving the constitution open to the voters assumes that each voter is voting for the overall good and equal rights of our society. It does not take into consideration the emotions of having to change firmly established beliefs or understand something that is foreign to them. It does not take into consideration the moral and religious padding around belief systems. There was a time when a popular vote would not have allowed desegregation or interracial marriage, but, fortunately, our elected officials recognized that. Just because something is popular, doesn’t make it right.
I am eternally grateful to MassEquality, Gov. Deval Patrick and all of the legislators who helped to defeat this amendment last month. Now, we can continue to take care of our families, work, pay taxes, enjoy state benefits for married couples and finally move on to other, more pressing, issues.
Carla Imperial
Jamaica Plain