We're Back!

Like an old bad penny or the boys in town, the Scout is back.

Hear y’all, hear y’all! After an unanticipated (but apparently much needed) six-month hiatus, the Scout is back with our regularly-scheduled Monday morning updates to give you the good word on the goings-on in Morgantown and other Issues of Concern. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Image from Electronic Frontier Foundation

On Our Minds

Since this is our first Scout for a while, I’ll keep it brief. There’s a lot going on, wherever you are. If you're like me, you're completely overwhelmed and feel like you're losing your grip every time you learn some new piece of information. This is not only understandable and common, but likely an appropriate response to everything that’s happening around us, everywhere, all the time. I don’t have an answer to this (and if anybody does, hit me up). However, I do think there are almost endless substantive things we can do to mitigate and combat this exhaustion, as well to as protect and strengthen our communities. Hopefully, we’ll talk about a lot of these things things with you here, as we work through them ourselves.

For today, I wanted to start with something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, which is low-barrier and can make us all safer: digital security.

I’m not talking about phishing or spam emails (although we should all also be on the lookout for those, because yikes). Given what our current government has shown it’s more than willing to do (and what essentially all U.S. governments have done to groups that are disfavored for just about forever), we should all think more intentionally about what we are saying, where we are saying it, and how we’re protecting ourselves and our communities from the grubby little hands of the feds, cops, border agents, etc.

There’s a lot out there about that, and no one should be giving away more free data to tech billionaires than we already have ceded. More recently, I think it behooves us all to think about what we need to do to make sure that the way we engage on social media, through texts, and online in general keeps us and the people we care about safe.

As the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) says, first and foremost, we can all shut the fuck up. This isn’t even a security thing—there’s a lot we just don’t need to say to certain people (cops), or that we don’t need to say in the everlasting record that is the internet. You’ll probably hear more about this from me or others in the near future, but it’s always something to keep in mind.

In addition to this basic safety step, some things that I’m currently considering:

• Moving digital services to companies based outside the U.S. Why? Because more and more these days, American Big Tech companies are, to but it bluntly, bootlicking. Here’s a basic intro to the issue and some first steps you can take: How To Avoid US-Based Digital Services.

• Consider Surveillance Self-Defense and think about what you should do to make your electronic devices and data less susceptible to harmful surveillance, especially if you’re currently under attack from our authoritarian present; work in areas like immigration, human rights, or protest spaces; or just want to make your assigned FBI-stalker work harder. Electronic Frontier Foundation has a wealth of resources for everything from creating a basic security plan to how to protect your digital privacy as an abortion activist or worker.

• Get a VPN on your digital devices and put it to work. EFF also has an excellent guide on this.

• Going to a protest? Read this first (and you can print!). Also from EFF. Can you tell I love them?

While this can feel like a lot, many of these suggestions are small, fairly simple steps that can be done when you have the time or the energy. They don’t have to be done all at once, or even at all—you can do what you feel sufficiently protects you and the people around you.

And, really, there’s something cathartic about locking Big Brother and Big Tech out of your data.

In Our Community

Now for what everyone really wants: community events!

Today, Monday, March 24, the First Ward Neighborhood Association will meet at 6:00 pm at Monongalia County Technical Education Center (MTEC), at least, according to several signs I saw scattered around First Ward over the weekend.

For those (like me) who love plants, the Morgantown Plant Society is having a Plant Swap Tea Party at the Tea Shoppe on Tuesday, March 25 at 6:00 pm. Free, so long as you bring a plant or plant accessory to trade!

For sporty folks, on Tuesday, March 25, the WVU baseball team plays Marshall at the Monongalia County Ballpark in Granville at 6:30 pm.

The Committee of the Whole will meet at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, March 25, at City Council Chambers. Agenda here.

On Friday, March 28, the WVU Libraries’ Art in the Library presents WVU Feminist Activist Artist Resident Catron Booker’s “Affrilachian Freedom Dreaming: Honoring Dr. Ancella Bickley.” The virtual event starts at 10:00 am. Registration here.

Also on Friday, March 28, the West Virginia Botanical Garden is hosting a Woodcock Walk from 6-8 pm. Per their website, “LeJay Graffious will lead a search for American Woodcocks displaying over the old reservoir from sunset to dusk.” Free for WVBG members, $15 for non-members.

Saturday, March 29: the Farmers’ Market is still at Mylan Park. Soon, though, my precious, it will be downtown.

In the mood for some square dancing? Kick off The Encore’s first dance of the year on that same Saturday, March 29 starting at 7:30 pm. Caller is Ron Buchanan, featuring music by Gray Buchanan and Friends. No experience necessary!

Is there something that should be here but isn’t? Let us know what’s missing from our calendar in the comments below!

Kitchen Sink

I just want to leave everyone with a few things to read, as per usual.

First, I just found BIG by Matt Stoller; he writes about (in his own words) “the politics of market power and antitrust.” Like me, you may feel that’s relevant.

Second, I’ve been chewing over this piece by Kate Wagner for days now and I invite you to do the same.

And that’s our brief issue for you! We’re glad to be back and look forward to going through everything the next weeks and months will bring with you all.

- Lesley & the Scout

What’s on your mind? What civic or cultural events are on your radar this week? What would you like to hear about in future newsletters? We want to hear from you in the comments or at morgantownscout@proton.me. Help us build the Scout community!