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40 Years of Activism
I wrote about my life in this series with the hope that people could glean some good advice. Maybe take some inspiration from the actions, and find hope and tools for the ongoing fight for our rights. Let’s end fascism and hatred. These are some of the stories of my life.
How to speak out against Mass’s new privacy-killing social media ban
This bill, similar (though more wide-casting) to a lot of other restrictive and reactive bills we’re seeing to limit speech online, would require social media companies (defined very broadly) to verify the age of their users, and restrict younger teens from accessing their sites. This is problematic for many reasons: our right to privacy and freedom from undue searches, the security of our data, freedom of speech, safety of at-risk teens—pick your issue of interest!
Mayday, America
To participate in May Day Strong is simple: No School. No Work. No Shopping. This is a required step in our development as a movement. It will demonstrate to those still on the sidelines that we have staying power and the capacity to escalate. It will show to our political adversaries that we have the ability to apply pressure on a national scale at a specific time in a coordinated way to effect. It is a warning to capitulators that we have leverage in the consumerist system that they have built and that we are smart enough to exploit that vulnerability.
The Case for Helping Your Neighbors
Giving our time and resources to others may seem like the last thing that we want to do in a society that does its best to make us all feel precarious and alone. However, we have the power to help each other to make us all less precarious, less alone, and more able to unite in working towards a better world for everyone.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
No Kings III: Now We Wield our Power
Big rallies and protests, like No Kings, are excellent vehicles for joint catharsis, increasing visibility, and recruiting people to the movement. 180,000 people standing in solidarity is an immense display of our power. But that power is wasted if sustained action is not taken.
Introducing What the Flock?!
Our first installation of What the Flock?! features a wider timeline of Flock news, including reports of Flock’s many problems, opposition efforts, resources to take action, and contract cancellations, including in our very own Attleboro, MA!
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.
The Power of Local Protests
While Mass 50501 is an anchor organization for Boston’s No Kings rally tomorrow, March 28th, a major focus of our organizing is on building broad coalitions across the state. We’d be thrilled to have everyone join us in Boston, but we recognize that that is not a reality for some people. No Kings III is meant to be a display of people power, wherever the people may be located. This weekend, there are over 3,000 nonviolent events nationwide and over 150 events planned in Massachusetts!
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.
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.”
Pathways to Power
We have succeeded already at the first step in the long march that will be required to achieve victory against American Fascism. Our sacrifice was worth it—because in one week's time, the largest protest in the history of America will have been planned, executed, and launched by ordinary citizens from all walks of life. We use that energy over the spring, summer, and fall to grow this movement to legendary proportions, to ensure democracy survives the midterm elections, and to assert our collective will to ensure a better future for all of us.
Let’s Build Our Power: Volunteering with Mass 50501
While a one-day protest is helpful for increasing a movement’s visibility and numbers, sustained collective action is even more important. Maybe you’re interested in and aligned with the movement, but unsure what volunteering actually entails. We checked in with six of our current volunteers to hear about organizing with Mass 50501.
A Case for Zeal
The United States, without the remit or even notice to Congress and the American People, has unilaterally, and at the whim of a single man and a small cabal of conspirators, sunk the fleet of a sovereign nation, assassinated its leader, and devastated the Iranian command structure. Thousands are dead in the attack including hundreds at a girls’ school, hit with a Tomahawk missile in Tehran. This attack has no more the legality, morality, or strategy of a mob boss ordering a hit on a rival.
Finding Your People
The next No Kings protest is on March 28, making now the perfect time to find your protest buddies. Make a difference by finding like-minded friends, crafting signs, and protesting together.
Science is Not Perfect. Fight for It Anyway.
If there’s one thing almost anyone can agree on, it’s that science is not perfect. Even so, I am here to invite you to Stand Up for Science tomorrow, March 7th, to make a case for science with all its imperfections.
Reinterpreting The Forefathers Monument
The Forefathers Monument was erected, in part, to unify the country around shared ideals in the face of social divisions. While our national debates have not yet reached the extremes of the 1850s and 1860s, our time is likewise marked by political violence and fractious politics. I think the glorification of shared ideals was not misplaced then, and it seems similar consideration could benefit our country now.
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.
Trump Out, ICE Out: Statewide Outreach to Our Representatives
Last year, on Presidents’ Day, we rallied to say No Kings on Presidents’ Day! This year, we took that energy directly to our representatives for the second time in under a month. On February 17th, a dedicated team of activists and leaders joined forces for a National Day of Action to lobby for the impeachment of Trump and an end to ICE’s reign of terror.
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.