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Boston and Easthampton ban face surveillance

July 2, 2020

Recently, the Boston City Council voted 13-0 to pass a ban face surveillance by all city departments. The mayor approved the ordinance as well. Yesterday, the Easthampton city council also voted unanimously to ban city use of face surveillance technology. Thanks to everyone who helped get these bans passed and to the Mass. ACLU and Restore the 4th for their consistent advocacy for a ban on face surveillance. While you are here, today the Senate Judiciary Committee will v...
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How are you communicating on-line?

June 20, 2020

The pandemic is slowly improving, but the infection rate is steady. There is a real possibility that the fall could see a large upsurge in infections. Having video meetings is the default now. Zoom is a privacy nightmare. Skype is compromised from the get go. Google Meet is ... by Google. We use Jitsi when we record the Pirate News, but it is best for small groups where you trust people and probably could not handle our party conference. We need better ...
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RCV signatures handed in. Congratulations Voter Choice MA!

June 18, 2020

A huge congratulations to Voter Choice for Massachusetts and hundreds of volunteers and organizers for handing in over 14,000 signatures to get Ranked Choice Voting on the November 3rd ballot! It's petition submission day! 🎉 🎉 🎉 Our grassroots team has been working around the clock to sort, pack, and send mailings to town clerks across the Commonwealth. #RankedChoiceVoting, here we come! Share how proud you are of everything you've accomplished! 👏 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RGSDphxcpA— Voter Choice f...
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Pirate News: Arlington, RCV and video chat tools

June 17, 2020

Pirates Steve, James and Joe talk about the latest local news including: Arlington's recent election and how it is organizing town meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic;The Ranked Choice Voting ballot initiative and;We are looking for better video chat tools. If you have any suggestions, please add a comment below.

Last chance to sign the Ranked Choice Voting petition!

June 13, 2020

It is the final weekend to get the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) initiative on the ballot. The signature drive has been going strong, but you can never have enough signatures. If you haven't lent your digital signature yet, especially if you live outside Middlesex county, we need you to sign the RCV petition right now by clicking here. If you have signed, thanks! It would help tremendously if you asked your friends and family to sign at sign.voterchoice2020.org today. Nothing like ...
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One week to get RCV on the ballot!

June 10, 2020

Volunteers from Voter Choice for Massachusetts, the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) campaign, made history last fall when they submitted 111,000 certified signatures to the Secretary of the Commonwealth; the most ever by a Massachusetts ballot initiative campaign. The Massachusetts Pirate Party supports RCV and we are proud to be part of this historic effort to give a stronger voice and more choice to voters. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) allows voters to rank the candidates on the ballot by order o...
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Today, Boston facial recognition hearing

June 9, 2020

Today at 3pm, Boston City Council's Committee on Government Operations will discuss a proposed ordinance to ban face surveillance in Boston. The hearing will be by Zoom meeting and the public may watch this meeting via live stream at boston.gov/city-council-tv. It is too late to address the committee, but you can still provide written testimony. Details below. The ACLU put together a toolkit for activists that includes model testimony. There are also public education resources available at ...
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Tuesday, Boston facial recognition ban hearing

June 7, 2020

The police repression and violence against Black Lives Matter protesters and innocent bystanders over the last two weeks is abhorrent. The people have a fundamental right to express their outrage at and opposition to the police killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others. The right of people to express their First Amendment right to free speech is not limited by time or place. Pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets are not the only tools police use to oppress us. Increasing...
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Two weeks to get RCV on the ballot!

June 3, 2020

We are in the last two weeks of the campaign to get Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) on the November 3rd, 2020 ballot. In order to earn RCV a place on the November 3, 2020 ballot, the people must submit a second round of 13,374 valid signatures by June 17. They have made great progress in gathering signatures digitally, but more are always needed to survive a challenge. if you haven't signed, please sign the RCV petition electronically from home. The Massachusetts Pirate Party supports RCV and w...
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Trump’s threat to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act

June 2, 2020

We are reposting the US Pirate Party statement on Trump’s threat to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act: The United States Pirate Party opposes President Trump’s threat of military force against our citizens. We support the right of the people to peacefully protest and seek redress for the murder of George Floyd. We support activist organizations such as Black Lives Matter that engage in peaceful protest. We object to police brutality directed against protesters and members of the free...
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