Senate President Stanley Rosenberg Thursday urged President-elect Donald Trump, “and all people of good will, to fulfill our country’s commitment to open-minded, compassionate, and fair government, and to respect and serve the diversity of all of humanity.”
In a message on Facebook he said, “That is who we are in Massachusetts, and who we are in all of America.”
The Amherst Democrat’s message came in response to “many heart-wrenching stories about children and adults expressing their sadness and fear based on the results of the national election,” he wrote.
“To those who feel threatened by recent events, be assured that our belief remains steadfast: everyone is entitled to the same rights and protections, and we will stand by your side to uphold the law.”
Rosenberg wrote, “It is natural to feel sad and disappointed when your candidate doesn’t win. It is not typical though, in our country, to feel fearful at the end of an election.”
He added, “Because of the repeated expression of bigoted views about women, racial minorities, people of both the Jewish and Muslim faiths, immigrants, members of the LGBT community, and people with disabilities, many people are fearful about the future.
“While bigoted words and incivility in public discourse are out of line in and of themselves, the greater threat is that they may create a false belief that now there is license to do something even worse in our communities and in our public policy: commit bigoted deeds.”
Rosenberg, who was easily re-elected last week to a 13th term, wrote, “The election is over, and as Americans have done for centuries we must unite and move together into the future. As we do so, the members of the Massachusetts State Senate want to be clear. Our unshakable support for the civil rights and civil liberties of the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts drives our commitment to protecting and promoting the dignity, safety, and the well-being of all who live in and visit Massachusetts, including those who were targets during the Presidential campaign.”
Quoting directly from the state Declaration of Rights, which was the basis of the U.S. Constitution, he wrote, “We pledge to use the power invested in us by the voters and our Constitution to pursue and protect policies consistent with the fundamental principles of our country.”
The state’s laws, Rosenberg wrote, “reflect our founding principles of liberty and equality, inclusion, and respect for diversity. … We maintain a deep commitment not just to ourselves and to our families, but to others.”
The message continues: “We will continue to provide leadership and will strive to maintain our place in history as a beacon of light, keeping the fundamental principles upon which our Commonwealth was founded as vital and alive today and moving together into the future as they have ever been.”