From a State House News story posted on Wicked Local Newton…
“You can see I am getting old, but there is one thing that I have found improves with age and that is the pleasure of being able to say, ‘I told you so,’” Barney Frank told the commission at a public hearing on proposed industry regulations. “And it does not require pills before, during or after you do it.”
I recall vividly that Margaret Heckler’s campaign tried to use this proposed 1972 legislation against Barney when the two of them competed for Congress in 1982. I was solidly in Barney’s corner and it turned out to be one of the most exciting and intense campaigns I’ve ever worked on. Initially, Barney was the decided underdog, but he wound up besting Heckler by more than 20 points. A clear example that fear based political campaigning can be routed. Let’s keep doing it.
I appreciate Congressman Frank’s long time advocacy for legalized cannabis. There were other elected officials who were on the right side of history as well. But none of them could ever get enough of their colleagues to join with them on legislation.
Ultimately it was the people of Massachusetts who took matters into their own hands and legalized freedom through the ballot box. The sad part was seeing so many of Newton’s elected “leaders” using questionable tactics to block implementation. I have yet to hear a single one of them apologize or even admit their mistake.
Gore Vidal opined that, “I told you so.” were the four most beautiful words in the English language.