Protect and Serve.
You can’t go far without seeing or hearing it.
Protect and Serve.
Banners. Badges. Mugs. Shirts.
Protect and Serve.
The phrase is simple, and it cuts straight to the point. That’s the point of any given police department.
Protect and Serve.
…Right?
That is the point, is it not? If it wasn’t, why would they say it everywhere?
Protect and Serve.
But look at how vague that phrase is. You’d think it’s self-explanatory, but who ultimately is the beneficiary of it?
Protect and Serve.
Yeah, but who? Or what?
Let me take you back for a moment. If we are to answer this question, we should go back to when that question was pushed to the limit.
Let’s start with an answer, one that most would probably default to, and work our way through the story and see if we’re right.
Protect and Serve.
Their community?
Take a step back. The story begins near the Tug Fork River, with one of the most famous feuds in United States history: the Hatfields vs McCoys.
Stolen pigs, affairs, taking turns shedding blood, New Years 1888, the Battle of the Grapevine Creek. You’ve heard all the stories of your father’s cousins; the feuding and the killing.
Step in: your name is Jessie Maynard, and your grandmother was “Ole Randall” McCoy’s cousin and sister-in-law (gross!). It was before your time (the feud had died down before you were born), but the stories would linger forever in the folklore of the United States, let alone in the immediate aftermath of the families directly impacted.
You, naively, may believe the violence your family experienced is behind you.
In 1911, days after your 17th birthday, you marry Cabell Testerman, the twice-divorced 29-year-old jeweler and optician by trade.
While the interfamilial violence may have subsided, there was a whole new dimension to life in Appalachia that was beginning to reveal itself.
The coal industry was about to explode, and so was the movement for labor rights, protections and representation.
The first sign you noticed things will start to get out of hand was perhaps the 15-month-long Paint Creek-Cabin Creek strike, beginning less than a year after your wedding in April 1912.
Happening just a few counties over in Southern West Virginia, you hear about these “Baldwin-Felts” agents who were called in to be strike breakers, and an Irish-born woman named Mother Jones coming in to assist.
Some papers are calling Jones the “most dangerous woman in America,” but she’s assisting laborers fighting to unionize and having their demands met. How could she be the “most dangerous” when she’s only helping laborers?
After all, she’s not the one putting up snipers or organizing beatings.
These, of course, were happening in company towns across Southern West Virginia. Luckily for you, Matewan is an independent municipality.
You, naively, may believe that type of violence would never come to Matewan.
That Paint Creek-Cabin Creek strike would last until July 1913, ending with the recognition of the union they tried to form.
Good for them!
A year later, you read about the heir to Austria-Hungry getting assassinated in Sarajevo. Some far off European lands. Eventually a whole mess of European Powers are at war with each other.
Typical Europeans, always fighting each other in some war.
This so-called “Great War” in Europe seems to be all the news is talking about. Come 1916, the same year you and Cabell adopt your son Jack, President Wilson is even running on “He kept us out of the war!”
He won! But the Germans were sinking our ships and telling Mexico they should invade us. So, he got us into the war in April 1917, 150 days after the election and only 32 days after his second inauguration.
So much for that promise.
Many men from West Virginia, in your and surrounding counties, were conscripted into the Army to fight that war. They weren’t just miners anymore; they were trained combat veterans.
You hear about that dreaded Russian Empire falling to what the government calls “Bolshevism,” and how we’re sending troops into the Russian Civil War to defeat the “Bolshevik menace.”
Then, something strange happens.
After this Great War ends on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, and our boys began coming home, they still had their pro-unionization aspirations in mind.
But now, the government is calling them “Bolsheviks,” wanting a union “Bolshevism,” and since we’re still fighting Bolshevism in Russia, then it’s somehow patriotic to do that here.
But wait. That can’t possibly be right.
These boys were striking back before the war even started. They were calling Mother Jones “the most dangerous woman in America.” They were always fighting our boys to keep them from unionizing, but now they’re using scare tactics to turn the public against the miners.
These boys just fought a war in Europe the President ran on having kept us out of, and you repay those efforts by calling those men Bolsheviks and unpatriotic?
Those awful Baldwin-Felts strike breakers were always trying to keep these miners from unionizing, and now it just seems like they’re using the convenient excuse of “patriotically fighting Bolsheviks at home” to continue what they’ve been doing this whole time.
Your husband, Cabell, tells you how Albert Felts had the audacity to offer him $500 to allow machine guns to be placed on rooftops in Matewan, as they were carrying out evictions in company housing on the outskirts of Matewan. Hundreds of miners and their families had been evicted from their homes already going into the Spring on 1920.
He tells you what he told Felts: “There wasn’t enough money in the county for him to do something like that.”
His friend and appointed police chief, Sid Hatfield, was offered bribes as well, but stood firmly by his side. Hard living and rough and rumble, Sid might have been a surprising choice to appoint police chief some in town, but he was strong pro-miner and pro-union, as was Cabell himself.
Of course, the irony is not lost on you that a Hatfield is one of your, a McCoy, strongest allies.
Cabell sensing tensions rising, asks you and Sid that, if something were to happen to him, Sid would take care of you and your son.
But surely it couldn’t come to that, right?
Well, come Wednesday, May 19th, 1920, this whole things catches up and collapses right in your lap.
Some Baldwin thugs, including Albert Felts, come through town looking to evict miners in the next town over, and hand Sid Hatfield a warrant for his arrest, allegedly signed by a judge in Mingo county.
Cabell, Sid and Sid’s deputy Fred Burgraff met with the thugs on the porch of the Chambers Hardware Store, with both Sid and the agents claiming they had the right to arrest the other.
Eventually, the warrant for Sid’s arrest landed in your husband’s hands. He declares it to be bogus.
And is promptly shot by Albert Felts, firing the gun from and through his pocket.
Then the shooting began in earnest.
When it was all said and done, a total of ten people would be killed from that day. Albert Felts, his brother Lee, and five other detectives from Baldwin-Felts ended up dead. Two miners from Matewan would also be killed in the gunfire.
But the next day, Cabell becomes the tenth death from the Matewan Massacre, the so-called “Battle of Matewan.”
Only 26 years old and you’ve already been widowed. After your husband’s murder in cold blood, you and your child are left alone. Sid, who was in the middle of the whole affair, swears he will keep his promise to your late husband and take care of you and your son.
And he does.
Sid, less than two weeks after Cabell’s untimely death, goes with you via train to Huntington, WV to get your marriage license. You both decided it was best to get some rest in town before marrying the next day. You two check into the Florentine Hotel to rest up for tomorrow’s wedding.
Then, some unexpected visitors.
Huntington Police Officers Messenger and Vernatt arrest and jail you and Sid overnight for “cohabiting while unmarried” and “committing adultery.” Apparently, you both had folks watching your movements.
Specifically, it was Baldwin-Felts spy (and traitor) Charles Lively and Tom Felts, the brother of the two fallen Felts brothers from the Battle of Matewan, who allegedly left the tip to the Huntington PD.
You have a quick trial in the morning, no longer than five minutes, where the judge ultimately throws away the charges and hefty $10 fine after learning of your and Sid’s plans to wed that same day.
Since you’re already at the courthouse, you guys get to knock out what you aimed to do anyways.
Congratulations, Mrs. Hatfield!
Of course, it’s not all sunshine. The Baldwin-Felts thugs haven’t been making your or Sid’s lives any easier since the massacre at Matewan.
In fact, your quick wedding was plenty of ammunition for the smear campaign.
Suddenly, rumors pop up and swirl that Sid himself was the one who shot Cabell, and it was so he could marry you.
But you know that’s not true. That’s all a rumor being spread by the pro-Baldwin-Felts camp and the media rags that support them. No one wants to ever call the Baldwin-Felts guys the bad guys in the paper, but what else could they be?
They’ve been breaking up your fellow West Virginian’s unionization attempts for years, before there was any implication of Bolshevism, and harder and more forcefully once there was that implication, even if the reality on the ground hadn’t changed.
They’ve done all they can to stop our boys from trying for a better life. They came at the behest and in service of the mining companies, and never to the aid of the poor worker doing the job.
Now, because Sid is becoming something of a workingman’s folk hero, they feel the need to discredit and smear his when and where they can.
You know Cabell asked Sid to take care of you and Jack. There was no plot between you and Sid to get rid of Cabell. The imminent danger, brought by the strike breakers, made it necessary to plan for the worst case scenario.
Now, that same camp of strike breakers aims to smear your new husband after making you a widow.
By January 1921, after six months of negative attention, Sid and 17 others are tried on murder charges, all stemming from the so-called “Battle of Matewan.”
All 18 were acquitted.
You are thrilled, and how could you not be? Sid was already a hero to miners across West Virginia (and maybe even nationwide), and now he’s a free man.
“Smilin’ Sid,” as some knew him as; that’s what the United Mine Workers film was called. He even got to be photographed with Mother Jones.
Truth be told, Mother Jones wasn’t nearly as dangerous as the media told you she was, but after seeing how the media talks about Sid, you already knew that.
Life goes on until Sid and his deputy, Edward Chambers, are accused of conspiracy.
In the town of Mohawk in McDowell County, a mining camp was shot up. The local mine guard said the perpetrators were being led by Sid and Edward to force the Mohawk miners to unionize.
Charles Lively, who is something of a double agent as you’d later come to find out, told the police he talked Sid, Edward and the miners into doing something drastic while at a restaurant. This testimony would lead to their arrest.
Union leaders said the story was bull, that the mine guards themselves were the shooters and that the accusations being levels were all to set up Hatfield and Chambers.
A distant cousin of Sid’s, Bill Hatfield, just so happens to be the McDowell county sheriff. He tells you guys that Sid and Edward would have the fullest protection.
Bill, however, would leave town for Virginia the day before he was so-desperately needed.
On August 1st, 1921, Sid Hatfield and Edward Chambers, unarmed with with their wives by the sides, were walking up the steps of the McDowell County Courthouse when several Baldwin-Felts thugs, including Charles Lively, began shooting the two men.
Your husband Sid dies instantly. Edward Chambers is finished off execution style with a bullet to the head from Lively.
You and Mrs. Chambers have both been widowed, and you have been widowed for the second time in 15 months.
None of the Baldwin-Felts thugs are even tried or held responsible for the killings.
All this would lead to the so-called “Battle of Blair Mountain,” the largest labor uprising in United States history, with 10,000 miners taking arms and rising up.
It would finally subside on September 2nd, when U.S. troops came to break it up, and the military veteran miners unwilling to fire on the troops, thus leading to the end of the uprising.
Take a step back, you’re no longer Jessie Maynard-Testerman-Hatfield: you’re you. You are reading about Jessie and the story surrounding her on the United States Pirate Party website, and you remember the point to this.
Protect and serve.
Looking at that story, who was being protected and served? And what?
The people are West Virginia, the miners, weren’t being protected and served. They were being frustrated at every turn when they sought out better working conditions, sometimes by force.
Sid? Sid Hatfield did what he could to protect and serve in his role as Police Chief of Matewan. In fact, Sid did just as much as any police officer could hope to do in protecting his community.
And he was shot for his troubles.
The people who killed police officer Sid Hatfield never were arrested or tried because they claimed “self-defense” against the unarmed Hatfield.
The Baldwin-Felts thugs protected and served, but they weren’t serving the community. They were tasked with protecting and serving the mining company from the community.
Was Jessie protected and served? She was twice widowed at the hands of Baldwin-Felts thugs, and no justice was ever served.
In fact, she herself was arrested in the middle of the story for “cohabiting while unmarried” and “committing adultery.”
So why are you, dear reader, being asked to go through all of this? Why would the United States Pirate Party want this story to be laid out and told the way that it has?
Lesser discussed in our platform is the plank “Police Reform.” In it, we call for things such as the demilitarization of the police, ending qualified immunity and civil asset forfeiture, requiring warrants for all forms of surveillance and end no-knock warrants, and ensuring nobody is put in jail for actions of basic survival.
In the story of Jessie Hatfield, we see many examples of why we call for such measures.
First of all, Sid Hatfield is the lone officer in the story to take on a purely community-based approach to law enforcement. Sid legitimately worked to protect and serve his community from overreaching mining companies and strike-breaking thugs.
And he was killed for his troubles.
Sid and Jessie, two consenting adults about to be married, were arrested in a major invasion of privacy and charge with a crime the state should have no power to enforce. This is a privacy issue as much as it is a policing issue.
Finally, individuals before institutions. Sid was the only person putting the individuals of his community above the institution of the mining industry. The protections of the worker were not kept in mind for the companies or the strike breakers, but was always considered with Hatfield.
Sid Hatfield is, by no stretch of the imagination, what we should be striving for when it comes to policing.
Earlier this decade, you saw anti-police sentiment hit a peak not seen in decades. “ACAB” and “Defund the Police” were rallying cries shouted by those who recognized the injustices perpetrated by modern policing.
And yet, the approach proved to be more harmful than not.
The actual issues of policing were not addressed properly, and instead of getting “defunded,” police departments got massive boosts in funding.
As you can see, the issues observed in the way policing is carried out is nothing new, and complaints of “Police serve capital” is hard to argue when the police act more as law enforcement as opposed to community servicemen.
So I bring you to this: protect and serve.
Was it the community in the story? Only if you’re talking about Sid Hatfield.
Unfortunately, not every officer is Sid Hatfield, nor is every motivation of an officer the same as Hatfield’s.
But Sid Hatfield shows that policing can be done in service of the community. How it ended should not sour the fact that it is indeed possible to how our police protect and serve the community.
The trend in policing we have seen is the militarization of our police forces. We have seen police officers, who are otherwise members of their community, taken out and put into a position to where they are often up against the community, not in support of it.
We have a large number of citizens that don’t trust the police, or are even scared of the police. It is that which we must be tasked with changing as a society.
Instead of calling for their defunding, or even the more honest demilitarization, I’d like to suggest a different rallying call when it comes to policing:
“Bring our police home.”
Bring back the beat cop. Bring back the police officer that walks down the street that you and your neighbors know and see everyday. Bring back the community servant. Per our platform, “Properly train our police forces with regular training in all aspects of the job. This will include but not limited to mental health assessments, first responder medical certification, community policing, & public engagement.”
Are all individuals who become police officers bastards? Of course not. Not everyone who becomes a cop is malicious or an inherently bad person. Hell, I’m willing to say most people aiming to become cops genuinely do so with the hope to protect and serve their community. Some might even see themselves as a Sid Hatfield type figure.
But as long as the policing remains in the shape that it is in, which is a bastardized form of protecting and serving, then the view that “all cops are bastards” will be hard to shake. Until that bastardization is done away with, the stigma of doing a bastard profession will reign true in the eyes of many.
If you truly want our police to protect and serve their community. If you truly want an end to no-knock warrants and the infringement of our privacy. If you truly want to end civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity (which puts our officers in a position above, not in, the community). If you truly want to demilitarize the police, ending the 1033 Program and discouraging technique sharing between the neighborhood police and the military or federal intelligence agencies.
Then look at the positive role models history provides us. Look not at how it ended but what it was when it was happening.
If you truly want our police to protect and serve the community like they claim to, then I invite you to say it with me:
Bring our police home.
]]>Arizona – The Blase Henry write-in campaign is gaining momentum with yard signs now in hand for placement around Arizona’s Legislative District 17, alongside plans for a rally at Naranja Park in Oro Valley on either the 7th or 14th, and a confirmed trip to a Saber practice in Tempe on September 9th.
In response to the federal agent incursion into the Tohono O’odham nation, the group explored a solidarity rally but learned any such event must be led by an enrolled tribal member, so they’re now looking for alternative ways to support. Members agreed, with little debate, to move forward with regular library tabling and canvassing for both the AZPP and the write-in campaign.
Merch production is moving slowly, though the group is prioritizing delivery of t-shirts to contest winners before tackling broader output.
Finally, the AZPP discussed Tucson as a possible host city for the PNC Conference, outlining what hosting would require and what the city could offer.
Coalition – Our coalition with the United States Transhumanist Party, All Hands for a Free Future, will be discussed during the Sept. 13th meeting. Concerns regarding the democratic structure of our partner organization has led to members wishing to review our partnership. Long live the Handies? Join us on 9/13.
Florida – The FLPP postponed their meeting from this Saturday to today, Monday 8/31.
Goldbacks – Guest from the USTP and PR Director candidate Daniel Twedt brought up Goldbacks as a form of alternative currency. While discussion was limited (this was brought up towards the end of the meeting, following a motion to adjourn), this is still a Pirate-adjacent issue brought to our attention.
While this would be better brought to our Platform committee, we do appreciate the excitement behind the suggestion as it was brought to our attention.
Illinois – The next ILPP meeting will take place 9/13, one hour prior to the USPP’s PNC meeting the same day. The Midlothian Village Board of Trustees campaign will see a visit to the Cook County Clerk to discuss action plans moving toward on Wednesday.
Indiana – No attendee, nothing to report.
Maryland – The MDPP have been working on tasks assigned from their last meeting, with the next meeting scheduled for Sept. 6th. Come over for a BBQ! (You’ll eat well!)
Massachusetts – The MAPP are planning camera walks and tabling at the upcoming Anarchist Bookfair. More news to come.
Ohio – Significant updates to the Ohio Pirate Party website have been made. The OHPP will meet again on Thursday, 9/3, at 5:30pmET, scheduled to discuss bylaws, platform, frequency of future meetings, etc etc.
Outreach – Outreach met this week to discuss templates for different materials that every state party can use, such as pamphlets, flyers, business cards, etc.
During their next meeting, there will be a Q&A for state parties to discuss what works and doesn’t work in terms of support from the national party and outreach in general. This meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 9/10.
Platform – Our platform committee met to discuss a “Bodily Autonomy” plank, which is scheduled to be presented to the PNC during our Sept. 13th meeting. Next on platform’s agenda, following the Bodily Autonomy plank, is discussing Native American relations and a potential broadening of an environmental plank.
Pennsylvania – No attendee, nothing to report.
Pirate National Committee – The PNC voted to approve meeting minutes from the last meeting, 8/23. The PNC will not meet next week, 9/6, due to the holiday weekend.
Pirate National Conference – The 2027 Pirate National Conference location will be officially voted on during the shaping-up-to-be-jam-packed Sept. 13th meeting.
PR Director – As of tomorrow, Sept. 1st, the position of PR Director will be vacant. Due to a timing and communication conflict, the position will still be vacant, but will not be filled until, you guessed it, the Sept. 13th meeting.
Young Pirates USA – the next Young Pirates USA meeting will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2nd at 8:30pmCT.
That’s it! The Sept. 13th meeting is shaping up to be a three hour affair (unironically), so please buckle up and rest up during this week off. You can catch up on all you missed by watching the meeting here.
]]>Tonight, the Pirate National Committee will be having an open meeting, which means the public is free to join.
The Pirate National Committee switches every two weeks, alternating between closed meetings (open only to PNC members and observer states) and open meetings (open to the public).
The link to join can be found here.
You can also join our Discord server to learn more about the meeting.
Every meeting, closed or open, is livestreamed. Participants will be asked to ID if they wish to participate [NAME, STATE] (ex. Samuel Mason, Virginia).
Business will still be conducted, but this is the opportunity to sit in with the Pirate National Committee, ask questions and learn all you need to know to get involved.
Be there or be square, and nobody likes a square.
]]>Take your “Donroe Doctrine” and shove it.
The mockery and destruction of our closest relationship, not just in the Americas but in general, is not something a party that considers themselves “Pan-Americanism advocates” would ever promote.
We believe the United States should be a good neighbor; one that repairs the troubles of our past and builds towards a better future.
Instead, not only are we further straining our relationship with our closest neighbor and ally, but we are actively driving them into the arms of the European Union and away from us.
And to top it off, we are doing the whole “Gulf of America” thing to Lake Ontario, renaming it “Lake America.”
As a Great Laker myself, I have to finally ask:
Are you out your gourd? Are you doing this because you’re bored? Are you having a laugh?
What’s the end goal? What could possibly be the justification behind the self-destruction of everything the United States has built up positively, and the escalation of all the worst the United States has been?
The United States Pirate Party believes the United States should be a good neighbor. That’s not a complicated position, and that’s not something that we passively believe in.
It is essential to future generations in the New World that the United States reverses track. If we are to advocate for a Pan-American foreign policy, then we must call out when we are moving in the opposite direction.
We once referred to our current path as a “marathon in the wrong direction,” and nothing has changed to make that statement wrong.
We are still sprinting, and we’re doing it at a record pace.
H.O.M.E.S. is how we remember the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.
If this name change goes through, we’ll need to remember S.H.A.M.E. instead, which is something in short supply in this administration.
We wholly condemn these childish attempts at… whatever this is. Whatever it is, it’s the opposite of what we want from the United States. It is the opposite of being a good neighbor.
How long until New Mexico is renamed to “New America?”
Enough is enough. This isn’t “making America great again.”
This is making América not trust us.
What kind of neighbors are we? What kind of neighbors do we want to be?
]]>Arizona – The AZPP held a meeting last Wednesday to discuss committee updates and outreach efforts. An itinerary for Tucson, should it be the location for the upcoming Pirate National Conference, and discussed pooling donations. Updates on the Blase Henry campaign, regarding yard signs and other materials, were given. Finally, Arizona discussed their game night and brainstormed future events hosted in Phoenix.
Election Committee – An election committee was formed, consisting of USPP Captain Jolly Mitch (IL), YPUSA Captain Lily Boyt (AL), and USPP Lookout and Capt. Emeritus Joe Onoroski (MA), tasked with creating the form for the upcoming election for the PR Director vacancy.
Illinois – the ILPP met before the PNC did on Sunday, and were joined by Mike Vick, who is currently running a write-in campaign for Governor of Illinois as a member of the American Solidarity Party. The ILPP is running one candidate, Mitchel “Jolly Mitch” Davilo, who will begin signature collection come September.
Pirate National Conference – The location for the 2027 Pirate National Conference will be voted on during the Sept. 13th meeting. Baltimore, MD, Mobile, AL and Tucson, AZ are the top contenders.
Platform – PNC adopted an updated Foreign Policy plank, as was presented by the Platform Committee. The plank, an extension of our previous positions, maintains our commitment to Pan-Americanism while introducing new commitments to worldwide affairs.
PR Director – Rowan Tipping is resigning from his post, effective Sept. 1st. The election to replace Rowan will take place during the August 30th meeting.
Vetting Committee – The Vetting Committee was made official with the appointed members. The Committee currently consists of Captain Jolly Mitch (IL), Vice Captain Blase Henry (AZ), Capt. Emeritus Liz Gorski (NY), Capt. Emeritus Drew Bingaman (PA), Ewa Kruzel (AZ) and, temporarily, PR Director Rowan Tipping (IL). Rowan will be replaced upon election of the new PR Director.
That’s that! You can catch up on everything by watching the meeting here. Our next meeting, 8/30, will be open to the public.
]]>Effective Sept. 1st, our current PR Director, Rowan Tipping, shall resign from PR Director, as announced during the August 23rd meeting.
During our August 30th Open Meeting, we will elect our new PR Director for the remainder of the term, which will be up for re-election during our 2027 Pirate National Conference.
If you are interested, or know someone that may be a good fit, we will be posting a submission form and reaching out to candidates as nominations come. Those who accept their nomination to be a candidate will be expected to attend the August 30th Pirate National Committee meeting.
We ask that only those willing to commit to seeing the term to completion seek the nomination. This will be a standard of the utmost importance to filling these roles.
Upon Sept. 1st, following the August 30th meeting, the website will be updated to reflect the PR Director changing from Rowan to the individual elected during meeting on the 30th.
Both an election committee and the newly established vetting committee shall oversee the nomination process going into the meeting.
Join our Discord for more immediate updates on the matter, and where the link for the nominations will ultimately be first posted.
]]>Arizona – The latest AZPP meeting covered several key items: Jane Gardner stepped down as YPUSA representative due to workload, with the group thanking her for her service. The team spent most of the meeting reviewing and updating the bylaws (Version 3 now in the resources chat), and discussed fundraising needs for the write-in campaign and cutlass maps. They also talked about a possible 2027 PNC conference bid and building a Tucson itinerary for out-of-town members.
On the campaign side, yard signs need to be finalized soon (with Gloo Factory in Tucson as a leading option for premade signs), and Blase Henry’s No Kings Day Speech video ad is now live. Game Night got the green light after Twitch approval, with a possible first stream of AC4: Black Flag on Tuesday. The Phoenix event idea was tabled for next time, and outreach/committee work continues on PayloadCMS.
Financial – A financial policy and procedure was introduced by Ohio and unilaterally adopted. The document, among other things, commits the Treasurer to report the financial standings of the USPP to the board at least once a month.
Illinois – The Midlothian Village Board of Trustees campaign kicked off with an announcement on Friday, officially launching the first campaign since the 2022 attempt. This will also be the first race the ILPP have an invested interest in since the 2023 Chicago Mayoral Race, where the Chicagoland Pirate Party endorsed a slate of four candidates before the runoff. That announcement can be found here.
Pirate National Committee – The Pirate National Committee voted to cancel select upcoming meetings, all related to potential conflict with holiday and travel, through to the Pirate National Conference. That list of cancelled dates are as follows:
Historically, the Pirate National Conference has taken place the first weekend of June, meaning there will likely not be a meeting June 6th, 2027 (hey, that’s the U.S. Pirate Party’s 21st birthday!), but that is currently not an officially voted on cancellation.
Further cancellations regarding holidays will be discussed after a new board is elected during the 2027 Pirate National Conference.
Pirate National Conference – the 2027 Pirate National Conference location is currently being discussed, with an Etherpad created to answer any questions and hear all suggests Pirates and Pirate supporters might have for the conference. The favorites are currently Baltimore, Mobile and Tucson.
Vetting Committee – A Vetting Committee has been formed to properly vet any candidates seeking the endorsement of the Pirate National Committee and the United States Pirate Party. The Committee will be comprised of the Captain, Vice Captain, PR Director, a Captain Emeritus and two reps selected from PNC.
That’s all from last night! Or is it? Catch last night’s meeting here to find out.
]]>During the August 16th Pirate National Committee meeting, it was voted on that the PNC would not meet on the following days:
Historically, the Pirate National Conference has taken place the first weekend of June, meaning there will likely not be a meeting June 6th, 2027 (hey, that’s the U.S. Pirate Party’s 21st birthday!), but that is currently not an officially voted on cancellation.
Further cancellations in regards to holidays will be discussed after a new board is elected during the 2027 Pirate National Conference.
]]>Arizona – The AZPP IT Committee didn’t meet this week but continues working on PayloadCMS, and the team recruited more members to become pirates. On outreach, Devon’s contacts in Phoenix and with Navajo Nation presidential candidate Andrew Curly have both gone unanswered; Devon has paused further Navajo Nation outreach for now, citing distrust, and plans to explore other tribal nations instead.
In a special election, Magnolia Carswell was promoted from PR/Media Director to First Officer (the AZPP’s vice-chair). On the Game Night front, Twitch is processing our approval and it’s just a matter of time. The Write-In Campaign is now official, and the group discussed yard signs and video ads. The sign designs got chaotic with meme concepts, so the decision was pushed to next meeting, and DIY cost-saving ideas and potential ad video sources (like No Kings Day speech footage or new original content) were also discussed.
Finally, the Cash Bail Reform plank was tabled for a future meeting, and the group discussed potential Phoenix events to participate in, with a shortlist identified and a final decision expected next meeting.
Endorsements – The decision was unanimously made to rescind and retract the endorsement of Jacob Anders for TN-04. The decision was made upon questions of background and campaign comportment. A decision to form a vetting committee was established. More information pertaining to the reversal can be found here.
Florida – The FLPP will have a meeting Saturday August 15th. All interested Floridians are invited to attend. Join the Florida Pirate Party Discord server for more info!
Illinois – The next ILPP meeting will take place August 16th at 7pmCT. The candidacy for Midlothian’s village board of trustees is still planned, with candidate announcements on the Facebook page and Illinois Pirate Party websites planned in the coming weeks.
Pennsylvania – As reported last week, the Drew Bingaman campaign did not meet the signature requirements before the deadline and thus will not appear on the ballot during the 2026 election cycle. We are incredibly proud of Drew for his campaign, and note that we do not achieve electoral success without moments of heartbreak along the way. We will continue to support Drew in all his future endeavors.
Pirate National Conference – Locations for the 2027 (and beyond) Pirate National Conference were discussed, with momentum seemingly on the side of Baltimore, Mobile and Tucson. Nothing is yet set in stone, and a form that would answer logistical questions about each potential host city is in the works.
Platform – The platform committee presented a proposal for discussion and consideration on an update to our Foreign Policy platform. The proposal featured more concrete plans of action, and expanded upon our currently existing positions of Pan-Americanism and Self-Determination.
That’s everything from August 9th. A nearly two hour meeting, you can catch up on all the happenings here.
]]>During a rushed July 26th meeting, the Pirate National Committee had voted 4-3 to endorse Jacob Anders in his campaign for Tennessee’s 4th congressional district for the United States House of Representatives.
Historically speaking, this has been no issue. The process in which a candidate is endorsed has been the same prior to now; a candidate reaches out to us, we have been fairly loose with the process.
The process has been: join us on Talk the Plank! and pitch your campaign, then join us for a Pirate National Committee meeting for questions before taking it to a vote.
And historically, that has been enough.
However, that has proven to be a flawed method.
The United States Pirate Party has never had the amount of candidates and endorsements that we do for the 2026 election cycle. It has been largely a blessing to have so many candidates seeking our endorsement, and it’s been a pleasure to support candidates from all walks, both independents and members of other minor parties.
Minor party unity is essential to defeating the duopoly, but endorsements still must be carefully considered.
This endorsement was not.
After more details have come to surface about our endorsed candidate in the TN-04 race, the board felt it was inappropriate and unbecoming of the United States Pirate Party to maintain the endorsement.
While unprecedented, as of August 9th, the United States Pirate Party has retracted our endorsement of any candidate in the TN-04 race, a decision made following a unanimous vote.
Following this misstep, we have committed to forming a Vetting Committee, meant to properly vet any candidates for both public office and the board of the Pirate National Committee.
We will not take lightly the weight of an endorsement from the United States Pirate Party, and we will not give it to candidates without more proper time and energy dispensed into knowing who it is we are endorsing.
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