Something in the Air in Mass

Something is in the Air in Massachusetts
By MassNews Staff
             Massachusetts is the bluest state in the Union. It's been the most consistent state to vote for a Democrat. And the first and only state to officially endorse gay marriage. But there's something in the air on that front. Literally. And on the airwaves.
            For a number of weeks, messages pulled by airplanes have been appearing in the skies all over the state, directing people how they can play a role in reversing the gay marriage ruling that was enacted nearly two years ago. No one is really sure how many planes are involved, but they have been seen nearly every clear day. As many as three planes have been seen at one time, in formation, pulling the banners.   Simultaneously, radio ads have been running on much of the radio media, sponsored by Massachusetts Citizens for Marriage, with the same theme. It has caught the attention of all of the newspapers and talk shows in the state.
            Most recently, the messages have been telling the citizens of the Commonwealth to call the Supreme Judicial Court itself, and politely ask Chief Justice Marshall to resign. Similar messages asking people to call the State House and tell elected officials to vote on her removal have upset Speaker DiMasi, who thought he had this issue safely behind him.   Marshall, herself, was recently investigated by the Ethics Committee for her comments at the Brandeis commencement last spring, where her address demonstrated her personal prejudices.

Some Thing in the Air: One of the Banners Calling for Marshall's Resignation

            Massachusetts Citizens for Marriage, the organization behind the campaign both in the air and on the airwaves, is no newcomer to this effort to end gay marriage. The president, Sally Pawlick, was behind a state ballot initiative in 2001 to officially recognize marriage as being between just a man and a woman. Although they had more than enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot, the State legislature just ignored the Initiative when it met in a Constitutional Convention in 2003. This prompted condemnation from even the state’s best known liberals, such as John Kerry.
            The lead attorney for Mass Citizens for Marriage, Atty. J. Edward Pawlick, squared off with Marshall in court over Marshall’s pending gay marriage decision. He recognized that she had an agenda, and he warned of the ramifications of her deciding for gay marriage.
            Mass Citizens for Marriage has no polished public relations firm, outside funding from a national “pro-family” organization, or suave figurehead. But what they do have is the ability to get people talking and acting on the issue.   And it may be just that --- the grassroots actions of the citizens of the state, that ultimately makes the final decision on whether gay marriage stays or goes in Massachusetts.