Category Archives: Poltics

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day in the US.  Although I am working, most schools, banks, hospitals and public sector employees have the day off.  MLK was a leading figure in America’s civil rights movement and he was assassinated in the spring of 1968 because of his beliefs.  MLK adopted Gandhi’s tactics of peaceful non cooperation which confounded his antagonists, and he made the civil rights movement a defining moment in 20th century US history.

When I think of America’s contributions and most salient exports, I think MLK and the Civil Rights movement is perhaps one of our most important. It is men like MLK, the values they cherished and would not compromise that make me proud.  Looking to the future I wonder where America’s next great visionaries reside; who’s dream will ignite the imagination of a nation and export their hope for greater equality, peace and love through out the world as Dr. King did?

Below is the “Free At Last” sculpture in front of the Marsh chapel on Boston University’s campus. It is comprised of fifty doves flying in formation and is meant to represent peace in all fifty states. Dr. King attended BU in the 50s, graduating with his Doctor of Philosophy in 1955.

Earlier this week I wrote a post entitled, Why Massachusetts drives Conservatives crazy, which listed several attributes about my home state that I think should be emulated rather than ridiculed.  Following the post, it was brought to my attention that earlier this past fall Massachusetts was ranked the most energy efficient state in the United States by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a private research group.The article which was reported in USA Today provides some highlights and national trends.   Massachusetts success is attributed to a 2008 Cap and Trade bill Governor Patrick signed after his predecessor, Gov. Mitt Romney, vetoed it in 2007.  An Inside Climate News article reports the Massachusetts legislation has created 3,800 jobs and nearly $500 million in economic activity in the last four years in my state.    You can read more about how Massachusetts has channeled its investments to help make it the most energy efficient state here.

No doubt, attributing MA success to Cap and Trade legislation will prove to be one more reason Conservatives will find fault with and taunt Massachusetts regardless of the results it has apparently yielded.

Massachusetts has long been viewed (and probably rightfully so) as one of the most liberal states in the nation.  Social activists, academia, and politicians from Massachusetts have been a strong and consistent voice for the Left in a nation that is increasingly center Right.

“We’re thinking of having a Massachusetts rally at some point in New Hampshire, sort of a please don’t turn America into Massachusetts” – Newt Gingrich, December 2011

Conservatives nash their teeth and say “Massachusetts” as a pejorative, and the current Republican Presidential candidates are no exception.  But all kidding aside, what is it that bothers Conservatives?  Here’s a quick look at some of the things that I think makes my state one to be emulated rather than ridiculed.

Massachusetts unemployment rate (while still too high) has consistently remained well below the national average (currently the Massachusetts unemployment rate is 7%).  While this isn’t the lowest – for states with a sizable population (5 million or more) only Maryland, Minnesota and Virginia have lower unemployment rates. (Source)

No matter how you measure it, Massachusetts has one of the healthiest populations with one of the lowest rates of obesity and fewest smokers.  In 2006, we became the first (and only) state to mandate universal healthcare so all residents have access to health insurance. (Source)

Despite claims MA is destroying American families (MA was the first state to legalize same sex marriage in 2004), we have the lowest divorce rate in the US (1.8% per 1,000 people).  (Source)

Massachusetts is one of the wealthiest states in the country (by the way that means we have less people as a percentage of our population relying on welfare and other social programs  Conservatives seem to hate so much). (Source) It also happens to be one of the few states to see childhood poverty rates drop last year. (Source)

One reason Massachusetts may be so wealthy is because as a percentage of the population, more people in our state hold a college degree than any other (not including Washington D.C.), making our state’s population one of the most highly educated in the US. (Source)

Massachusetts has its share of problems and has made terrible mistakes in the past, but we are learning from them and leading the nation by many measures.  So the next time you hear a Conservative bashing Massachusetts, pause and ask them what exactly about the quality of life we have here bothers them so much.

The national debate on immigration has taken a nasty turn in recent years, and with a Presidential election in 2012, I assume the rhetoric will only get nastier.  First the State of Arizona passed an immigration law that was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to legalize discrimination against Mexicans in the spring of 2010.  Then in June 2011, Alabama passed an even more restrictive immigration law, which interestingly has resulted in an excellent article by NPR called, “Have the crackdowns on immigration gone too far?”

Strangely, many who support these extreme (if not illegal) new immigration laws use very patriotic language. However, I always am tempted to ask these supporters if they’ve forgotten what is etched on our very own Statue of Liberty.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

I recognize that the United States cannot simply open their doors and must better track people, but at our core – our national identity was built upon what is etched on the Statue of Liberty and we’d be wise to remember that.  The AZ and AL laws seem to forget or find that an inconvenient truth.