The following letter will be personalized and hand-delivered to targeted State Representatives and Senators
Dear Representative/Senator:
This letter will serve as formal notification that Painters & Allied Trades District Council #35 is opposed the constitutional ban on equal marriage and urges you to vote NO at the Constitutional Convention to putting this issue on the ballot.
In 1988 construction workers in Massachusetts were singled out with a ballot initiative that would have caused economic hardship and stripped them of employment rights. Broad support and hard work defeated this referendum targeting workers’ legal rights that had been affirmed by our Courts. The lesson learned in 1988 was that any ballot initiative targeting any subset of Massachusetts citizens’ rights is immoral and unjust.
Further, the argument made by proponents of the constitutional amendment to “let the people vote” is misleading on its face. Massachusetts voters have had the opportunity to vote in the last two election cycles for candidates based on the candidate’s position on equal marriage. Last year citizens in the Commonwealth, given the clear choice between candidates on both sides of the issue, overwhelmingly voted for a Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General who support equal marriage. In the last two election cycles NO candidate who opposes allowing this constitutional amendment to go forward has lost an election, despite being targeted by a vocal minority. The people have voted.
District Council #35 urges you to vote AGAINST allowing any question negatively affecting the rights of working men and women, including this proposed constitutional amendment that would ban equal marriage rights, to appear on the ballot.
Sincerely,
John S. Laughlin, Director
Political & Public Relations
Thank you so much for taking a public stand on the right side of this issue. I think this post, more than any other I’ve read on this subject here from the most personally invested, cuts to the ethical center of this civic issue. IOW, it’s the least expected voice that comes out of nowhere that is most arresting. Thanks for taking the time to post it.