You can now register as a Pirate when you fill out your voter registration form. When choosing a party, simply enter Pirate in the space for Political Designation. You can pick up a voter registration form at your city elections office or town clerk’s office or request one be sent to you from the Massachusetts Elections Division at their voter registration request page.

Here is the official press release, please forward it widely, especially to your local media. Much thanks to Thanks to Erik, Chris, Clay, David, Sean and John for gathering signatures and Joshua for his help in putting this release together.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PIRATE PARTY SETS SAIL IN MASSACHUSETTS

Somerville, MA, February 26th, 2011 – With the WikiLeaks controversy, net neutrality concerns, and a need for a voice in the protection of the internet, one group of people have decided to stand up and answer the call for these issues. The Massachusetts Pirate Party, MAPP for short.

The Massachusetts Elections Division has approved the MAPP’s political designation petition. Voters will now be able to register as Pirates in addition to other political parties.

We live in a country founded on the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For many people, those ideals are not real. The Supreme Court and Congress have expanded the power of corporations and made them more powerful than people. Increasingly government officials ignore open meeting laws, make deals favorable to corporations behind closed doors and sell off our public information to private interests. Congress has allowed corporations to lock down our culture through copyrights that last four times longer than they did at the founding of our nation.

Ever since the 9/11 attack on the United States by Al Qaeda, the United States government has increasingly sacrificed our liberties and privacy while increasing the number of secrets the government keeps from its citizens. Must we give our government the right to listen to everyone’s phone conversations or have surveillance cameras in our houses before we feel secure? Should we allow our government to hide documents on international affairs, especially concerning international war, and even go as far as wanting those who release these documents “assassinated”? What kind of country do we live in where we can openly call for someone to be assassinated for releasing truthful information?

The MAPP will advocate for putting people before corporations, opening up government, maintaining personal privacy, promoting culture and knowledge through copyright reform, and fostering innovation by abolishing patents. We call for people to join together and stand for the rights of the common citizen and expect basic honesty from our government.

The MAPP is currently focusing on defeating the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act (COICA) and other bills that would allow our government to censor the internet. We are looking for people who wish to show and present the truth. We believe that standing up for rights long guaranteed to regular citizens of America is something on which all Americans can agree.

The Massachusetts Pirate Party can be contacted at:

Phone: (617) 863-6277 (MAPP)

Email: info@masspirates.org

Web: https://masspirates.org

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