Editorial

Pissed about the presidential elections? Blame the system. As long as  Massachusetts–and every other state in the union except Maine–continues to run “winner take all” elections, all third-party candidates will continue to be shut out of “no new ideas” races between Wall Street backscratchers.

Ranked choice voting, which is widely used in other democracies, many cities and colleges in the US, and by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to award Oscars, can change all that. If you are unfamiliar with ranked choice, check out http://voterchoicema.org/ and while you’re there, take the first step toward revolutionizing government by adding your name to the mailing list.

Voter Choice, MA, is a chapter of FairVote, a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing more voices into the electoral arena. When I go to Voter Choice meetings, I sit in a room full of people from shades of the political spectrum never seen on most ballots. Since the outrageous results of the presidential election, Voter Choice, MA has experienced an exponential surge in membership. The new members are fired up and ready to work hard to make every vote count.

Join us. Don’t let your vote end up in the trash bin of history.

If you are angry enough to hit the streets, you can find information about demonstrations aimed at pressuring the Electoral College not to affirm the latest choice of the moneyed minority, here: http://December19.us . If you are planning on going to Washington DC on January 20, or 21, 2017, I hope you will ask yourself, “What exactly will this show of force accomplish?”

I have been to many marches on Washington DC and I can tell you that the laundry list of progressive, “must haves” has not changed a lot. Unless we can come together around radically changing an electoral system that silences any voice not bought and paid for by Wall Street, you can tell your comrades in arms, “See you again, next time.” I will be in Boston, MA at the anti-inaugural demonstrations, and the Women’s March, at the Voter Choice table, adding names to an effort with a vision and a plan. I hope to see you there.

Forward wildly,

A.

The opinions expressed in this editorial are mine alone.

Hi Everyone:

Hoping Spring is happening (weather wise) for all of you… And that it’s happy and filled with green and growing things

MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO

MAY 2016 EVENT LIST

RESIST THE PIPELINE
http://www.resistthepipeline.org/

This year, I’d like you to consider a day of Activism for a livable future. A twofer of possibilities to change the world as you begin your morning with mothers in West Roxbury to stop a dangerous fracked gas pipeline and then on to our worldwide food supply as we March Against Monsanto once again in the afternoon in Copley Square.

The first event is Mother’s Out Front A Day of Action at the WRL fracked gas pipeline which is a 5.1 mile 750 pounds per square inch of fracked gas that is being built with much opposition from neighborhoods in Dedham to environmental groups to the City Council and Mayor of Boston and Selectmen of Dedham. In fact, Mike Butler Chair of the Dedham Select Board was the first to be arrested in June protesting the pipeline outside Legacy Place.

So far about 55 people form all over New England have chosen to commit peaceful acts of Civil Disobedience to protest this pipeline. They have extensive training and
have chosen to be arrested because of the dangers of this pipeline positioned within feet of 30,00 plus visitors to malls up and down route 1, under a children’s soccer field, in densely populated neighborhoods, next to school, houses of worship and a nursing home and a Quarry that blasts dynamite two times a week!

The company building it, Spectra has repeatedly mislead town and city and state elected officials and threatened eminent domain and had a few accidents as they rushed to build the pipeline as well as the large explosion on another pipeline just two weeks ago in Pennsylvania. I’ve been involved in this effort in meetings and hearings following the great leading by large coalitions like Mass Power Forward and Toxics Action and 350 Mass and so many tens of thousands of others including smaller and yet more vibrant local groups like SWRL and so many others who are having this put in their front yards. Some of the hearings etc I have attended include from Conservation Commission to FERC hearings to federal court to the Supreme Judicial Court, meetings with aides for councilors, reps, mayors and staff for Warren and Markey when my health allows. Sadly, it’s out of all of their hands because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission thus far, has had the final say. We are changing this narrative on the ground in W. Roxbury and in the State House and Supreme Court.

Imagine for a second what it’s like to have a large fracked gas pipeline in your front yard that is controlled by a metering and regulating station located next to a blasting quarry. Sadly, what we learned form the explosion in New Salem, PA a few weeks ago, when accidents happen along these pipelines and they are with greater frequency, upwards of 40 acres or 30 city blocks will be in the incineration zone

This pipeline is not approved by neighborhoods surrounding it, nor by Dedham and Boston or their elected officials. There have been years of valiant efforts to stop
it through court cases and hundreds of meetings. To learn more about it and events surrounding the protests and rallies see 350 Massachusetts .

This will be a great day to join Mother’s Out Front to show our solidarity with our friends and neighbors in Dedham, Westwood and West Roxbury.

Thanks and a Happy and Active-ism filled Spring to you all,

E. F.

April 30 | Old South Church in Boston,
645 Boylston Street, 9 am – 4 pm
“Building Socialism. Building Our Movements”
register at bostonsocialistunity.org
Bringing together a broad range of socialists and social movement activists from the Boston area to increase our engagement with socialist ideas and the many struggles around our city, country and the world.

Featured Speakers:
 Vijay Prashad, Trinity College CT, on US imperialism
 Cynthia Peters, Left Roots, organizing in the US
 Jorge Marin, Venezuela Solidarity Committee, on the Bolivarian Revolution and current situation in Venezuela
 Patricia Montes, Centro Presente, on immigrant rights
 Yamila Hussein, Boston Teacher Residency, on Palestine solidarity
  and others

12 Workshops including:
– Socialism and the Elections (Rand Wilson, Labor for Bernie and Howie Hawkins, NY Green Party)
– ABC’s of Socialism, Nicole Aschoff, Jacobin magazine
– Radical Organizing (Steve Meacham, City Life)
– Health Care, Sandy Eaton (Mass Nurses Association)
– EcoSocialism, Chris Williams (System Change, not Climate Change)
– Labor Notes, Red Black and Queer, Socialism and Feminism
– and others

Boston Socialist Unity Project, Sponsors and Endorsers: Boston Solidarity, Center for Marxist Education, Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism*, Communist Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, International Socialist Organization, Massachusetts Campaign to Abolish Poverty, Massachusetts Global Action, Socialism and Democracy Journal, Socialist Alternative
*Thanks to CCDS for the version of the announcement that we “swiped” to create this post.

Boston Democratic Socialists of America
P.O. Box 51356, Boston MA 02205
(617) 354-5078 http://dsaboston.org

RESIST THE WEST ROXBURY PIPELINE

Spring is not too far away and the specter of the West Roxbury fracked gas pipeline resuming construction awaits April 15.

They’ll be starting. We’ll be stopping.

An open invitation to all to join us for our first of many Civil Disobedience (CD) trainings to stop the West Roxbury Pipeline.

The first training of the spring will be on:

Saturday March 5, 3:00-5:30pm
Theodore Parker Church, 1859 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA

The training will cover:

– A background on the resistance to a 750 pounds per sq inch pipeline coming into W. Roxbury passing by an active blasting quarry. Opposed by community residents, city councilors, mayor Walsh and YOU.

-Information/experiential practice about CD and supporting others to do CD.

-Legal and practical information about CD

– Forming action/affinity groups with CD and support people

-Input into the spring strategy for actions

Come help draw the line on fracked gas and neighborhood safety.

More trainings and sessions to follow.

To sign up or for more information go to http://www.resistthepipeline.org/