| As .08 and MassMarrier have already noted, the Globe has a report today on Deval Patrick's visit to Dorchester's Greater Love Tabernacle Church. Why was he there?
to explain who he was, and to address a belief in equal-marriage rights that has put him at odds with some ministers and members of the African-American community, who see same-sex marriage as a violation of the Scriptures....
After Patrick spoke, [Rev.] Dickerson and several worshipers made it clear that while they oppose gay marriage, they believe that far more pressing problems threaten their neighborhoods. And that's what Patrick wants - and probably needs - to hear from African-American voters across the state as he tries to become the first black governor in Massachusetts history.
The resistance to gay marriage in some parts of the African-American community, particularly in some of the churches, is real. And Patrick's vocal support of equal marriage rights has apparently become enough of an issue in that community (whose support Patrick obviously wants) that Patrick has decided to deal with it aggressively with visits like this one, in which he acknowledges the disagreement but urges a focus on other issues. Good - that's the right thing to do. And good for Rev. Dickerson and his parishioners quoted in the Globe article for seeing past an admittedly hot-button issue about which they and Patrick disagree to focus on issues like "the murder rate, AIDS, and homelessness, among other issues" that pose far more significant threats to the neighborhoods served by churches like Greater Love.
Visits like this are important for Patrick for another reason: Patrick is no doubt well aware that Tom Reilly's ties to the African-American community are significant and longstanding. Among Reilly's oldest friends is Wayne Budd, former US Attorney for Massachusetts, with whom Reilly grew up in Springfield. Reilly has also been close to Ralph Martin, the former Suffolk County DA, for many years. In a curious twist, both Martin and Budd are Republicans.
Irony upon irony. Patrick, the first serious African-American candidate for Governor in Massachusetts history, is playing catch-up having to work hard at garnering support in the African-American community, in part because his white opponent in the Democratic primary has close ties to that overwhelmingly Democratic community through his long-term friendships with two influential African-American Republicans. Go figure. |
