Beltane Early Growth Moon
Proud to be a Minnesotan. Again. Finally. It has been a long, long time in the conservative weeds with no new taxes chanted ahead of every policy debate, ruining the things that have made Minnesota the strong, progressive state I loved when I first moved here over 40 years ago. Now, in one legislative session we have more money going into education instead of raiding our school systems piggy banks while raising property taxes. And, incredibly and beautifully and thankfully, we have marriage as an institution available to all Minnesotans.
It is not, after all, gay marriage, anymore than it is hetero marriage or African marriage or white marriage. No, it is a legally sanctioned bonding of two people for the purpose of creating a strong family unit, whether that unit is two people or two plus kids. Hopefully, in not too many years, we will look back on this debate and shake our heads, “Why was that such a big deal?”
An open civic society, a thriving K-12 system with post-secondary education appropriate for all, a world class health system, diverse cultural life and a commitment to a healthy environment, that’s the Minnesota I love and I can begin to see it emerging again from the compassion drought we’ve suffered under the tax-obsessed Republicans.
As Leonard Cohen sings, Hallelujah!
