When the newly formed United States enacted its first Constitution, voting was essentially limited to white land-owning men. This was in keeping with the tradition of the time, which held that public decision-making was a privilege reserved to those with the power to control it. Over time this country realized that tradition in politics was often not consistent with the American dream of freedom for all, and that living up to that dream often meant dispensing with tradition by giving to all citizens those opportunities that are the cornerstones of a free and healthy society. Not creating a “separate but equal” substitute that is rarely equal, but granting the real thing that is important enough to those in power that they are unwilling to do without it themselves.
Most of the people who voted on Question 1 on November 3 were able to do so only because a tradition had been replaced by a more inclusive practice that permitted them to vote. Sadly, large numbers of those who benefited from this more enlightened position used their power to deny others another cornerstone of civil society — marriage — and did so in the name of the need to “preserve tradition.” Their votes may or may not have been driven by hatred or fear, but they were unquestionably acts of hypocrisy and selfishness.
To all those who voted Yes on Question 1 in order to preserve tradition: Do not ever vote again unless you are a white land-owning male.
Seth Berner
Portland
Related:
Complaint Department, Letters to the Portland editor: May 1, 2009, Will Beacon Hill be bullied into enacting a politically correct law?, More
- Complaint Department
Can we have a benefit show or something in the coming year to save up enough money to buy three ghosts (preferably the ghosts of local rock's past, present, and future) to visit Sam Pfeifle in his dreams to tell him the following.
- Letters to the Portland editor: May 1, 2009
Is Rick Wormwood an inbred Maineiac as some would speculate?
- Will Beacon Hill be bullied into enacting a politically correct law?
A case of high-school bullying in South Hadley ended in tragedy this past January when the alleged victim, a freshman girl, committed suicide. Now, ramped up by the outrage over the case, Massachusetts legislators are in danger of enacting a politically correct law that could have devastating effects on our free speech.
- Saying their ‘I don’ts’
In case it slipped by one or two of you out there, Maine is a pretty homogenized state overall, even more so than a carton of Oakhurst or Hood milk.
- The 13th Annual Muzzle Awards
A year and a half into the Age of Obama, we are learning a lesson we should have figured out long ago — that repression, once in place, is rarely rolled back all the way, and that liberals no less than conservatives are reluctant to give up power.
- Prison activist: Board chairman wrong
I just finished reading the letter from Jon Wilson. Mr. Tapley was correct, the Board of Visitors is not living up to its mandate to represent the public's concerns about the Maine State Prison, nor is it minimally accountable in that it never filed an annual report until provoked by the scrutiny of Mr. Tapley's investigative journalism.
- John Birch Society alive and confused in Maine
The Maine arm of the John Birch Society, founded in 1958 to combat communist influence in government, visited the State House in Augusta last week, calling for legislators to, well, do nothing, as it turns out.
- Using the Constitution’s protections — all at once
On the occasion of this week's 225th birthday of the US Constitution, I wanted to embrace our culture's all-or-nothing ethos, by not just exercising all of my Constitutional rights, but using as many as possible all at once.
- The Making of Paul LePage, Part 2
Governor Paul LePage has made plenty of waves in his first year in office, and has many wondering where his sometimes provocative political attitudes come from. In this two part series we ask: who is Paul LePage?
- Allegorical expressions
Horses break loose from carnival carousels and run free, a horse-headed naked woman cuddles a rabbit as blue birds circle, and an escaped carousel horse visits the grave of a flower in Providence artist Lydia Stein's exhibit "Love Songs, Hobos & Other Spirits" at AS220's Project Space.
- Review: Gamer
This film from Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor features two fictional games: Society and Slayers , and both involve the mind control of volunteers by gamers who pay to play.
- Less

Topics:
Letters
, Seth Berner, Letters to the Portland editor, Constitution, More
, Seth Berner, Letters to the Portland editor, Constitution, Question 1, Less