Massachusetts First

The 2020 election drove some hard facts home for me. The most flagrant being that State Governments are REALLY important! Shocker. National Elections hinge on them and, if state elected officials choose to obfuscate, destroy evidence, or outright lie – tough cookies. Some folks counter, “Sure, maybe in red and purple states, but not here! Massachusetts is solid blue; the Democrats don’t need to cheat!” This is the “lost cause” mentality. Electorally, Mass is a blip, so why bother? That was me. Until 2020 when I realized that my immersion in big -picture politics was passive, entertainment really. Being well-informed is not an end; it’s a means. It was time to use my agency. I embraced the fact that just because Massachusetts is deep blue, I don’t get a pass to hang around and whine about it.

It’s time to GET BUSY. We have the agency to save our country from the woke “values” and government overreach gaining a foothold in communities nationwide; it’s just a matter of keeping our shoulders at the wheel. Remember, all politics is local. It’s time to shoehorn ourselves into every school committee, select board, precinct committee,* polling center, and – where appropriate – local social media. It’s a slog, but it’s happening all over the country. The
Republican Party is channeling its grassroots beginnings, and it’s working!

If you can’t find your groove in local or regional politics, embrace a “softer” strategy to do your part. Covid regulations and mandates threw a wet blanket on thriving small businesses, religious services, and community-run facilities. Folks were isolated and cut off from their communities. New growth is peaking through the ashes. Give it air. Get back to your church, club, or volunteer duties. These are opportunities for others to get to know you. We are done if
our kinship, regardless of political biases, is squashed. My church lady cohorts know I’m conservative. They also know I am intelligent, loving, fun, and generous with my time. I’ve humanized myself. Most people in town know me, but not my politics. Sometimes a comment is so untrue or insulting that I’m compelled to drop the MAGA hammer, er, respectfully correct the record. Years ago, I stopped being shy about my beliefs. The eye rolls don’t bother me
anymore. If people don’t listen, I believe, on some level, they hear. It’s sinking in. It starts here, so speak up.

by Laura Tomagno