You know I love you when the boiler makes that funny sound

[sovay]

So, yes. Despite the unnecessary excitement of last night, I made it to this morning's local Democratic caucus, held in the suffocatingly overheated cafeteria of the high school ten minutes' walk from my house, and I am now one of three female delegates from Ward 4 of Somerville to the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention in June. I am extremely pleased with this outcome. The male delegates were all elected by acclamation because there were only three candidates, but there were six people in the running on the women's side, so we had an actual election with two-minute speeches and all. I introduced myself as the queer Jewish chronically ill person from last year who had wanted to replace Charlie Baker with an artichoke if only it had a sense of ethics; this year, I explained, I wanted to go to the convention to vote Bob Massie as Democratic candidate for governor because he had a sense of ethics and was way better than an artichoke. I hasten to add that I was able to back that statement up with reasons (first and foremost his ferocious commitment to single-payer healthcare, as someone who was disabled and hung out to dry by American health insurance for most of his life, and then a bunch of close seconds in his stances on queer rights, climate justice, immigrants' rights, and public transit that doesn't get privatized or regularly catch on fire), but anyone can talk about their preferred candidate and everyone else did. Anyway, I tied for first-place number of votes. Filled out a bunch of paperwork and already have a good shirt to wear to the convention. Got told I have strong leadership skills, which I would not have said after my sleepless two-minute spiel, but I'm still flattered. I seem to be incapable of interacting with local politics without coming away with Fiorello! stuck in my head. I remain amazed that the democratic process allows me to do this sort of thing. I shall continue to try to use my community-representative powers for good.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Way to go, Sovay--you're *great*

[sovay]

Way to go, Sovay--you're *great*

Thank you! I'm really happy!

[isis]

Huh, you don't have a county assembly in between? We have our caucus (Tuesday night - I just called all the people whose phone numbers we have whose last names begin with E or F to remind them), a county assembly (Saturday morning the 17th), and then the State Assembly (in April). I've been to State a couple of times, not sure I'm going to try this year, though. Colorado has a relatively important caucus system (candidates who don't get at least 30% of the vote won't be on the primary ballot unless they petition on) and actually, I've been a precinct chair until just this year (our precinct map was redrawn and we got merged with another, and I gratefully gave up my position because 12 years was enough).

Yay for being involved!

[ckd]

Massachusetts barely has counties. Several of them no longer exist as anything but lines on the map, with all functions formerly handled by county level taken over by the state. Middlesex County, which includes Somerville, is one of those.

[sovay]

Yay for being involved!

Thank you!

No, we don't have county assemblies. Somerville exists as part of Middlesex County, but that's relevant primarily in terms of the court system and state elections at this point. I don't think there's been county-level government around here since I was in high school. [edit] What ckd said. The internet tells me that some of the counties in Massachusetts still have governments of their own, but slightly more than half were abolished in the late '90's. I had either forgotten or never learned in the first place that a whole chunk of Massachusetts turned into Maine in 1820.

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, well done indeed! \o/

[sovay]

Aw, well done indeed!

Thank you!

[moon_custafer]

seem to be incapable of interacting with local politics without coming away with Fiorello! stuck in my head

Like that’s a bad thing?

[sovay]

Like that’s a bad thing?

I didn't say it was!

[rydra_wong]

Go you!

*follows link* *Googles* OH HEY HE'S THAT BOB MASSIE. COOL.

... and I did not know he was an elite controller. "Blood has magic healing powers" is not something every politican can boast!

[sovay]

Go you!

Thank you!

OH HEY HE'S THAT BOB MASSIE. COOL.

All right, which social justice vector do you know him through?

... and I did not know he was an elite controller. "Blood has magic healing powers" is not something every politican can boast!

Well, I feel like it was metaphysically balanced by him having hemophilia for most of his life, but yes! His medical/personal/activist history is relatively ridiculous. This is several points in his favor.

[rydra_wong]

All right, which social justice vector do you know him through?

Ah, originally from reading secondary literature on memoirs by parents of children with disabilities! Then I think I'd vaguely registered that he grew up to be cool, but not the full details.

[sovay]

Ah, originally from reading secondary literature on memoirs by parents of children with disabilities!

Neat!

Yes, as far as I can tell he grew up to be cool. He's also a pleasant and consistently well-informed extempore speaker, which I realize is not a prerequisite for a career in politics, but really nice when you can get it.

[rydra_wong]

Neat!

Similarly, I first ran into Mark Vonnegut in secondary literature on first-person accounts of mental illness.

I was delighted to discover many years later that he's become an acclaimed pediatrician (when what one knows of someone's life is that they developed psychosis in their twenties, in the early 70s, you are prepared to find that the long-term outcome was not good) and written another book, and it's wonderful:

https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/1030542.html

[rydra_wong]

... and from the pregabalin-holed mess that is my long-term memory, I've remembered that I've read something quoting him (or posibly interviewing him) about swimming when he was at university, possibly in a book by John Jerome???, and that he may have been saying interesting things about being in that intersection between athletic activity and disability (a topic of perennial interest to me).

Cannot check because in a different geographical location from most of my books.

[sovay]

and that he may have been saying interesting things about being in that intersection between athletic activity and disability (a topic of perennial interest to me).

I'll try to run that down on my own time, then, because that is interesting. Thank you!

[rydra_wong]

I will also attempt to locate when in the same place as the likely books, which will be within the next few weeks.

[strange_complex]

Congratulations, and I hope your vote helps to secure the candidate you want. Good to hear that there were lots of female candidates standing, as well. That's rarely the case in equivalent UK political contexts. I hope you enjoy the convention when it comes, and post to tell us all about it (I know you will!).

[sovay]

Congratulations, and I hope your vote helps to secure the candidate you want.

Thank you! I will do my utmost.

Good to hear that there were lots of female candidates standing, as well. That's rarely the case in equivalent UK political contexts.

I haven't spent enough time in local politics to tell if it's unusual here. There were a lot of women at the caucus in general. It made sense to me.

I hope you enjoy the convention when it comes, and post to tell us all about it (I know you will!).

I will definitely report back!

[desireearmfeldt]

Go you!

[sovay]

Go you!

Thank you!

[gwynnega]

That is wonderful!

[sovay]

That is wonderful!

Thank you!

[pameladean]

Oh, many congratulations, and go you, especially with a custom cat piercing.

P.

[sovay]

Oh, many congratulations, and go you, especially with a custom cat piercing.

Thank you! This was the much better kind of exciting.

[yhlee]

Go you!

Joe's remark was, "But what if you end up with a rutabaga instead of an artichoke? I mean, you have to have some standards!"

;)

(At this point I have to confess that while I know what artichokes look like and have cooked with them, I have no clue what a rutabaga looks like! Off to Google...)

[sovay]

Go you!

Thank you!

Joe's remark was, "But what if you end up with a rutabaga instead of an artichoke? I mean, you have to have some standards!"

I have never endorsed a rutabaga!

[skygiants]

Did I live in Somerville, I would be pleased to be represented by you!

[sovay]

Did I live in Somerville, I would be pleased to be represented by you!

Thank you! That's a compliment.

[umadoshi]

Congratulations! ^_^ The people have made an excellent choice.

[sovay]

The people have made an excellent choice.

Thank you!

(What is your icon from?)

[umadoshi]

(What is your icon from?)

That one's from A Girl and Her Fed. (Fictionalized ghost!Ben Franklin, IIRC.)

[sovay]

That one's from A Girl and Her Fed. (Fictionalized ghost!Ben Franklin, IIRC.)

Okay! I read a chunk of that before it started being redrawn. The line was familiar to me, but the color/font was not.

[nineweaving]

Somerville says Yea!

{just going up into the belltower}

Nine

[sovay]

Somerville says Yea!

Thank you, madam!

[shewhomust]

Result! Well done!

[sovay]

Result! Well done!

Thank you!

[dhampyresa]

Congrats!

[sovay]

Congrats!

Thank you!

[phi]

Bob Massie is a personal friend of mine, and while he is a terrible politician (terrible in the sense that he keeps running, and keeps losing, and hasn't really figured out how to mobilize volunteers) he is an excellent human. Kind, compassionate, always eager to listen and learn. I'm glad people are supporting him.

[sovay]

he is an excellent human. Kind, compassionate, always eager to listen and learn. I'm glad people are supporting him.

This is a really good thing to hear, since I don't know him personally beyond handshakes in high school cafeterias. As a politician, he may be figuring out mobilization: there were a lot of people at the caucus wearing Massie stickers or otherwise canvassing for him and I'm now on some kind of mailing list. I should like to see him run and win this year.

[drwex]

Fantastic! Mazal tov!

[sovay]

Fantastic! Mazal tov!

Thank you!

[a_reasonable_man]

I just saw this! Congratulations! I was wondering who you were backing, and I have a lot of respect for Massie. I took a small part in the protest for climate change divestiture at Harvard; he was one of the leaders.

[sovay]

I just saw this! Congratulations!

Thank you!

I was wondering who you were backing, and I have a lot of respect for Massie. I took a small part in the protest for climate change divestiture at Harvard; he was one of the leaders.

I am hearing from a lot of people, on Dreamwidth and off, who know and like him. I came to him through his politics and this is making me happy.

(I may be a single-issue voter and that issue is healthcare that won't kill people.)