CommonWealth Beacon: "State seal and motto commission punts to Legislature"

"A SPECIAL COMMISSION that spent close to three years analyzing the state seal and motto concluded its work on Tuesday by urging the Legislature to make a change while offering no specific recommendations on what that change should be.

The current seal features an image of a Native American holding a bow and arrow and a sword hanging over his head. The Latin motto translates as:  “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.” 

The special commission, created in the aftermath of the nationwide reckoning in 2020 over the symbols and names that harken to institutional racism, said it will forward its final report to the Legislature on Wednesday and urge lawmakers to create a second commission to actually hire a designer and come up with a final motto and seal incorporating symbols and terms that are aspirational and inclusive of diverse perspectives.

Although the commission raised several possibilities for the seal and motto, the panel punted a decision to the Legislature. How that decision will be made is unclear at the moment."

Continue reading the article online -> https://commonwealthbeacon.org/state-government-2/state-seal-and-motto-commission-punts-to-legislature/ 

Link to the final Commission meeting video is available ->   https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/4792

The Commission report was not yet available at the time of this publication.

Boston Globe coverage ->  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/11/15/metro/massachusetts-state-seal-motto-commission-native-american/

CommonWealth Beacon: "State seal and motto commission punts to Legislature"