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Lowest Common Denominator?

July 9th, 2010 · 1 Comment

In reacting to the Federal judge’s ruling that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, stated:

We can’t allow the lowest common denominator states, like Massachusetts, to set standards for the country.

While least/lowest common denominator is a mathematical term, in a social context it refers to “the most basic, least sophisticated level of taste, sensibility, or opinion among a group of people.” Thus, Lafferty seems to be asserting that Massachusetts represents the “least sophisticated level of taste” among American states.

Reading Lafferty’s words can strike a different tone, a more broad assertion that Massachusetts is somehow backward, trailing the other states in the nation, the ‘back-of-the-pack’ state holding the rest of the nation down. …

Huh …??

Just where does Massachusetts stand in the pack?

Some simple statistical examples of the energy situation across the country that certainly suggest that Massachusetts and Massachusetts residents are far from the nation’s “lowest common denominator”.

If the nation matched Massachusetts, we’d be polluting less and sending fewer dollars overseas for imported oil.

Lowest Common Denominator?

Let’s look at some other domains and statistics:

Ms Lafferty, please define Lowest Common Denominator because it seems pretty clear that, on average, Americans would be lower polluting, wealthier, healthier, and happier if their states ‘fell’ to the lowest common denominator as represented by Massachusetts.

Hat tip to Mem from Summerville.

Tags: Energy

1 response so far ↓

  • 1 d // Jul 9, 2010 at 9:24 pm

    I don’t understand why a high rate of binge drinking and abortions is something to be proud of.

    Note that on both of those items, Massachusetts isn’t top of the pile (e.g., ‘worst’ or lowest common denominator) even if far from the ‘best’ (no matter how one might define ‘best’).

    I’d call this a borderline racist post.

    A “borderline racist post” is something that I simply don’t understand as a reaction. What or where is there racism here since zero of my words accredit good, bad, or indifferent on the basis of race. There is zero racial differentiation items here in my words or inferences.