Mass. leaders, activists deserving of praise

Let’s congratulate the activists, political leaders and the stand-up men and women who put people before profits. And a special thank you to today’s teens, who are taking a stand to protect their future — one that now isn’t looking as good as it should.

I am proud of Gov. Charlie Baker for putting the brakes on the sale of vapes — currently linked to lung damage that’s afflicting many across the nation, having a devastating and often deadly impact. I’m not surprised that Massachusetts has taken the lead nationally on this. When we do, we inspire the nation and the world.

It is my hope that the governor’s decisive stand will help other states struggling with what to do in the face of this public health crisis. The governor is sometimes painted as an unemotional numbers guy, but this decision was not only led by his concern for the health of the people of Massachusetts, he also tried to be fair to businesses that sell vapes by asking a freeze of only four months.

Lawyers for these businesses say he has no legal right to do so, but if it is proven that vaping is damaging the lungs of users, the stores may be out of business for good. We owe it to ourselves to get to the bottom of this situation.

Congratulations also to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for issuing an executive order banning anyone in his administration from being associated with marijuana businesses.

And  speaking of reining in some of the controversy associated with the marijuana business, it’s getting more than a little crazed in Cambridge. Folks who should be colleagues in the effort to ensure equity in cannabis commerce seem to be at cross purposes. Last week, marijuana business activist Richard Harding of Real Action for Cannabis Equity sent out flyers unfairly tagging veteran Cambridge City Councilor Denise Simmons’ proposal on boosting cannabis ownership as  an “anti-equity slave amendment.” That had to be more than offensive to Simmons and her many supporters. My money on who can guide this compromise — if compromise can be reached — is Simmons, a more-than-capable black woman, who is also gay and who served two distinguished stints as mayor. Currently there are only two minority-owned shops among roughly 89 in the state, so serious work needs to be done — and being condescending doesn’t help.

On the national front, I continue to be energized as the young people who cannot even vote yet are flexing their political activism muscles in a massive way — whether keeping the attention on finding solutions to gun violence or more recently the global movement to address climate change, boosted by the wunderkind spokeswoman Greta Thunberg.

She soldiers on, despite detractors such as a Fox News guest who denigrated her as a “mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.”  How rude and intellectually void. Many with Asperger’s syndrome, such as Thunberg, have brilliant intellects. She calls it her superpower. Thanks for using it to help mankind, Greta.

Kudos also to our Congress for finally putting their collective feet down and taking the first steps toward impeaching the president despite the impact the move could have on the 2020 presidential race for both sides.

So far polls currently show about 50-50 on whether the public feels the president should be impeached. There is also a question of whether impeachment goes too far and whether censure might have been a better move. If nothing else, this whole sordid episode shows Trump’s willingness to use foreign powers to assist him illegally — where have we heard that before? Today in a Washington Post interview, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defined the stealth cover-up by members of the Justice Department “rogue.”

That is just not the way America does business.

All hail to the whistleblowers, to the young people who are fighting for change and to all who advocate to make the world a safe and better place.

Joyce Ferriabough Bolling is a media and political strategist and communications specialist.

 

 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2o94hH5