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How To Engage Your Local Government
Municipal officials are fundamentally the ones responsible for deciding how schools are run, where utilities are serviced, and what the local property tax rate is. Through zoning, these officials also have great influence over what gets built. These policies may seem less demanding of our attention, but ultimately have a profound impact on our daily lives. If you want to see a change in any of these areas, that is a great reason to engage with your local government.
Pathways to Power (Part 2)
On March 28th, America will re-emerge from a bleak winter of discontent. Now that we have shaken off the forced slumber of snow, we enter the start of a new Season of resistance. Featuring many leaders in our state, a free concert by Dropkick Murphys and a sea of humanity united in common cause in the cradle of liberty, along the freedom trail and before the seat of power in this state. We anticipate No Kings III to be the largest protest in American History.
Even if You Want Surveillance, Flock is a Bad Choice
Even beyond the significant risks posed by Flock to privacy and civil liberties, there lies another question: is Flock good at what it does? I've worked in software and built cybersecurity systems for the federal government, and I believe that answer is a resounding "no.”
Flock and the Right to Record in Public
We at Mass 50501 have recently started the Flock Off Campaign, a project designed to curtail mass surveillance in Massachusetts by removing AI-powered traffic cameras owned and operated by Flock Safety from our local communities. Since launching this initiative, we have heard some concerns that opposing Flock Safety’s recording also puts citizen’s right to record at risk. In this article we will show that this fear is unfounded since different types of recording have very different places in the law.
Big Brother Won’t Save Your Lost Dog
Politics in the US are more divisive than ever, but there are still a few topics on which most Americans can agree: apple pie is delicious, football is the most popular sport, and dogs are adorable. A penchant for protecting our four-legged friends is normally a positive, but on Super Bowl Sunday, Americans’ love for our canine companions was weaponized against us by Amazon’s Ring cameras, their partnership with Flock, and Flock’s dealings with ICE.
MA-06 Candidates Answer our ALPR Questions
We asked the Democratic primary candidates for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District seat their thoughts on AI-powered Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology in our communities. Here’s what they had to say.
Flock Safety and the Dangers of AI-powered License Plate Readers
Long gone are the days of “innocent until proven guilty” and personal privacy. There are fewer and fewer places that are free from our overlords’ constant gaze. Ugly black poles went up all over town. One lonely conspiracy theorist camped out by a pole closest to the center of town shortly after their appearance. They signal aliens! They’re watching us!, he declared.
Did Misogyny Ruin the New York Times?
The short version? Yes. Yes, it did. On November 5th, the New York Times published an opinion piece entitled, “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?” To publish such an article right now, while women’s rights are under attack, is appalling. That it came from so highly-regarded a source is alarming. And that this piece masquerades as a championing of women’s rights? Unforgivable. Let’s discuss the term “conservative feminism,” what real feminism looks like, and why intersectional feminism is so important.
The Right to Read
Book bans are a rampant problem in the U.S. According to PEN America, there were 6,870 book bans in the 2024–2025 school year. The American Library Association recorded challenges to almost 2,500 unique titles in the 2024 calendar year. These numbers show an alarming increase—more than eight times over—when compared with the prior two decades. Almost 23,000 books have been banned nationwide since 2021, and these bans disproportionately attack books with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters. The good news is, there are many ways that we can fight back!
True Life Shouldn’t Be Scarier than Fiction
As Trump continues to point fingers about who is to blame for the fractured state of our country, when it comes to the dismantling of public health policy, the call is definitely coming from inside the house. In honor of spooky season, click through for some talking points about some of the terrifying ways that RFK Jr. has undermined public health policy.
Massachusetts Cultural Council: What It Does and Why It’s Important
Technological and cultural trends are pushing people away from consuming local art, to the detriment of local communities. Fortunately, Massachusetts is better geared than other states to respond to this trend due to the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). Established in 1990, the MCC sponsors and supports artistic and cultural initiatives in the state…
Massachusetts Judge Upholds Free Speech Rights
“Each day, I recognize (to paraphrase Lincoln again) that the brave men and women, living and dead, who have struggled in our Nation's service have hallowed our Constitutional freedom far above my (or anyone’s) poor power to add or detract. The only Constitutional rights upon which we can depend are those we extend to the weakest and most reviled among us.”
Fact Check: Transgender Mass Shooters
Transgender individuals have long been targets of the right-wing propaganda machine. Even before the murder of Charlie Kirk, innocent people have been pinned as violent nihilistic terrorists who perpetrate mass shootings and gun violence.
Labor Day Parade Sneak Peek
This year, Boston will be the scene of a Labor Day Parade hosted by the Greater Boston Labor Council, and Mass 50501 will be joining the march! Read on to learn more about the significance of the locations the unions have chosen to set up their demonstrations along our parade route!
What’s going on in D.C.?
The administration frequently seeks to amass power by “flooding the zone” with a multitude of authoritarian measures in the hope of overwhelming those of us who stand together for liberty, and diverting attention from its own vulnerabilities. As we endeavor to protect the liberty of our communities, our first priority is following the lead of communities directly affected by the administration’s attempted authoritarian takeover.
The Time Has Come to Be Petty
We are the good guys but we should not refuse to use this tool on some high-minded principle. “When they go low, we go high” is no longer the rule. Instead we should meet them in the gutter and humiliate them at every opportunity.
We Still Build Hope When Everything Feels Lost
Hope gives our movements energy. It keeps us showing up. We’re not just fighting to survive. We’re fighting to live. Fully, joyfully, collectively.
Stand Up, Speak Up, Speak Out: Remembering the Legacy of John Lewis
Until the end, Lewis inspired many across the world to engage in the kind of good trouble that had moved mountains in the American South. May he inspire all of us to do the same.
Spreading the Movement
We won’t be able to convert everyone in our community to habitual boots-in-the-street protesters, and we shouldn’t try. Luckily, that’s not the barometer of success; it’s a success every time we leave someone a little more disposed to support our cause at the end of a conversation. In this article, we share more tips for success.
What does the Trump v. Casa decision actually do?
What this decision is: The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has made it more difficult to stop the Trump administration from committing illegal acts.
What this decision is not: SCOTUS has not eliminated birthright citizenship.
What you can do: Read our guide to this disastrous decision for full details and three ways you can help in this fight.