Brendan Salisbury
@brendanws90.bsky.social
J.D. NUSL'20/M.S. Criminal Justice NU:CSSH '14. 'That guy on the news who hates cars.' Cyclist, state/municipal govt. wonk, and armed queer. Opinions obviously my own, no one else would want them. Pronouns: He/They
Pinned
Massachusetts Deserves Better than Gun Control Lip Service:
Or, “we’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas”.
medium.com
I've been picking around the edges of an article about chapter 135 for the past couple months, and the events of yesterday gave me the push I needed to finish it. I'm sure some of you have seen me posting about 135 a lot lately, and that's because it matters. 1/6 #mapoli
medium.com/p/massachuse...
medium.com/p/massachuse...
Ruth, nothing in ch. 135 improves school safety. Nothing. This is a deeply disingenuous position to stake out. And last I checked, I'm not "the gun industry", nor are the hundreds of people I've talked to who agree with my positions on ch. 135, and the hundreds more my friends in LGC have talked to.
In what might be my favorite headline ever, Commonwealth Beacon Magazine says what’s what with our campaign to keep our gun laws strong in MA.
It’s educators vs the gun industry.
Teachers want to keep their students and their schools safe — and I do too. 1/2 commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-quest...
It’s educators vs the gun industry.
Teachers want to keep their students and their schools safe — and I do too. 1/2 commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-quest...
Political Notebook: Teachers vs. Smith & Wesson
The state's largest teachers union is now the single biggest financial backer of keeping a 2024 gun control law on the books.
commonwealthbeacon.org
September 17, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Ruth, nothing in ch. 135 improves school safety. Nothing. This is a deeply disingenuous position to stake out. And last I checked, I'm not "the gun industry", nor are the hundreds of people I've talked to who agree with my positions on ch. 135, and the hundreds more my friends in LGC have talked to.
Very excited about this article. More evidence on the pile that guns are not the sole domain of right wing nutjobs. There is one inaccuracy I'd like to see corrected though: Q9 will not repeal the assault weapons ban, it would restore it. #mapoli #2A4All
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Assault Weapons Are Banned in Massachusetts. These Leftists Want to Change That.
The Liberal Gun Club, which has chapters in more than 30 states, reported a spike in interest as ICE raids ratcheted up early this year.
www.thenation.com
September 16, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Very excited about this article. More evidence on the pile that guns are not the sole domain of right wing nutjobs. There is one inaccuracy I'd like to see corrected though: Q9 will not repeal the assault weapons ban, it would restore it. #mapoli #2A4All
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
www.thenation.com/article/poli...
I've been up in the mountains these past few days and can confirm that it is so much better than being online. Some of you folks could stand to learn that.
And yet, here I am coming back.
And yet, here I am coming back.
September 15, 2026 at 11:19 AM
I've been up in the mountains these past few days and can confirm that it is so much better than being online. Some of you folks could stand to learn that.
And yet, here I am coming back.
And yet, here I am coming back.
The only correct thing this buffoon has ever said. Tiocfaidh ár lá.
May it not happen in his lifetime, and may it come soon.
May it not happen in his lifetime, and may it come soon.
Breaking: Donald Trump says
“I’d love to see Ireland unified…. I think it would be a great thing. How could it be bad?”
Oh my word.
“I’d love to see Ireland unified…. I think it would be a great thing. How could it be bad?”
Oh my word.
September 12, 2026 at 11:50 AM
The only correct thing this buffoon has ever said. Tiocfaidh ár lá.
May it not happen in his lifetime, and may it come soon.
May it not happen in his lifetime, and may it come soon.
Now that I've actually done the thing it no longer feels like bad luck to say I'm doing the unthinkable and attempting to pursue homeownership. First time home buyer class done (again), mortgage pre-approval received, application in for an inclusionary housing lottery. Please send good vibes.
September 11, 2026 at 7:29 PM
Now that I've actually done the thing it no longer feels like bad luck to say I'm doing the unthinkable and attempting to pursue homeownership. First time home buyer class done (again), mortgage pre-approval received, application in for an inclusionary housing lottery. Please send good vibes.
Happy holiday, to those who celebrate.
September 10, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Happy holiday, to those who celebrate.
Unfortunately I don't think this phenomenon, causal link notwithstanding, is universal. My personal experience is that drivers tend to treat narrow, unstriped roads as if they're one-way. They not only don't slow down, they drive down the middle, forcing me into a game of chicken.
This is a really important aspect of this as narrower roads with no lines do force drivers to slow down. I encounter these kinds of roads pretty frequently where I live and the car traffic is noticeably slower. It also makes it easier to "take the lane" as a cyclist.
September 9, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Unfortunately I don't think this phenomenon, causal link notwithstanding, is universal. My personal experience is that drivers tend to treat narrow, unstriped roads as if they're one-way. They not only don't slow down, they drive down the middle, forcing me into a game of chicken.
Reposted by Brendan Salisbury
Anarchists looking pretty vindicated on the "we need to prepare parallel institutions to be ready for the inevitable collapse of state infrastructure" front
September 9, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Anarchists looking pretty vindicated on the "we need to prepare parallel institutions to be ready for the inevitable collapse of state infrastructure" front
Credit scores are fake, and the fact that no one really knows how they work but it determines whether I get to buy property really does make my skin crawl. I chose credit card debt over homelessness six years ago at the height of the pandemic so yay I get to rent for the rest of my life.
September 9, 2026 at 4:30 AM
Credit scores are fake, and the fact that no one really knows how they work but it determines whether I get to buy property really does make my skin crawl. I chose credit card debt over homelessness six years ago at the height of the pandemic so yay I get to rent for the rest of my life.
As I do my best to scrape and save pennies to get my finances in order to purchase property, I'm growing increasingly frustrated by arbitrary bill increases and how apathetic I've been towards them. My phone bill has been insanely high for years. I just assumed that's how it is these days.
September 6, 2026 at 8:15 PM
As I do my best to scrape and save pennies to get my finances in order to purchase property, I'm growing increasingly frustrated by arbitrary bill increases and how apathetic I've been towards them. My phone bill has been insanely high for years. I just assumed that's how it is these days.
I have told as many people as I can that open primaries here will turn purple districts red, and blue districts purple. If we had ranked choice voting already I'd be more open to the idea, but we don't. It's not the right time for open primaries in #mapoli.
Some #MApoli on the left are pushing for question 3 because they underestimate the role and influence of big money in elections.
It is literally a Trojan Horse because splitting the votes hurts the left; risk is all downside.
Also they underestimate how conservative parts of the state really are.
It is literally a Trojan Horse because splitting the votes hurts the left; risk is all downside.
Also they underestimate how conservative parts of the state really are.
September 1, 2026 at 9:06 PM
I have told as many people as I can that open primaries here will turn purple districts red, and blue districts purple. If we had ranked choice voting already I'd be more open to the idea, but we don't. It's not the right time for open primaries in #mapoli.
I had to get the rabies series after coming into contact with a wild bat (no bite). It sucks, it hurts, it is infinitely better than dying of rabies. One of the deadliest and most awful and painful diseases you can get. Don't mess around with this.
You don’t need to be bitten to get rabies.
You can get it from saliva.
If you were petting or feeding baby goats at a North Carolina petting zoo PLEASE get medical attention.
Rabies is 100% fatal and by the time you develop symptoms it’s almost always too late.
abcnews.com/US/rabid-bab...
You can get it from saliva.
If you were petting or feeding baby goats at a North Carolina petting zoo PLEASE get medical attention.
Rabies is 100% fatal and by the time you develop symptoms it’s almost always too late.
abcnews.com/US/rabid-bab...
Rabid baby goats prompt North Carolina mobile petting zoo scare
At least four baby goats belonging to a North Carolina petting zoo have tested positive for rabies.
abcnews.com
August 31, 2026 at 8:26 PM
I had to get the rabies series after coming into contact with a wild bat (no bite). It sucks, it hurts, it is infinitely better than dying of rabies. One of the deadliest and most awful and painful diseases you can get. Don't mess around with this.
Reposted by Brendan Salisbury
The Milo stuff is the perfect picture of fascism. You think you're protected because you go as big as you can on racism, you spend years harassing the movement's perceived enemies, you even disavow your own sexuality. They'll still throw you in a cage over the tiniest disagreement already forgotten.
August 28, 2026 at 6:48 PM
The Milo stuff is the perfect picture of fascism. You think you're protected because you go as big as you can on racism, you spend years harassing the movement's perceived enemies, you even disavow your own sexuality. They'll still throw you in a cage over the tiniest disagreement already forgotten.
Look, Milo has always fantasized about getting fucked by fascists. Maybe he should have been more specific about whether he meant figurative or literal.
August 29, 2026 at 2:03 AM
Look, Milo has always fantasized about getting fucked by fascists. Maybe he should have been more specific about whether he meant figurative or literal.
Reposted by Brendan Salisbury
One group of my ancestors believed that there were always 36 righteous people in the world, and that their god continued to allow the world to exist for their sakes.
If they were right, then today and for perhaps at least a little while, there are only 35.
If they were right, then today and for perhaps at least a little while, there are only 35.
August 26, 2026 at 12:33 AM
One group of my ancestors believed that there were always 36 righteous people in the world, and that their god continued to allow the world to exist for their sakes.
If they were right, then today and for perhaps at least a little while, there are only 35.
If they were right, then today and for perhaps at least a little while, there are only 35.
Reposted by Brendan Salisbury
it's possible to live a life where everyone grieves its end
August 25, 2026 at 6:47 PM
it's possible to live a life where everyone grieves its end
Reposted by Brendan Salisbury
Dolly Parton, the closest thing we had to a saint in America. Ally to the queers, supporter of Black Lives Matter, promoter of literacy, outstanding musician, one-woman economic engine in eastern Tennessee, and a total hottie in old age.
Her generosity after the 2016 wildfires was unmatched.
Her generosity after the 2016 wildfires was unmatched.
[Exit Queen.]
August 25, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Dolly Parton, the closest thing we had to a saint in America. Ally to the queers, supporter of Black Lives Matter, promoter of literacy, outstanding musician, one-woman economic engine in eastern Tennessee, and a total hottie in old age.
Her generosity after the 2016 wildfires was unmatched.
Her generosity after the 2016 wildfires was unmatched.
Reposted by Brendan Salisbury
dolly parton taught millions of children to read
dolly parton raised millions of dollars for cancer research and disaster relief
dolly parton stood by the lgbtq community her entire life
dolly parton personally helped fund the moderna vaccine
if there was a right side of something she was on it
dolly parton raised millions of dollars for cancer research and disaster relief
dolly parton stood by the lgbtq community her entire life
dolly parton personally helped fund the moderna vaccine
if there was a right side of something she was on it
August 25, 2026 at 6:25 PM
dolly parton taught millions of children to read
dolly parton raised millions of dollars for cancer research and disaster relief
dolly parton stood by the lgbtq community her entire life
dolly parton personally helped fund the moderna vaccine
if there was a right side of something she was on it
dolly parton raised millions of dollars for cancer research and disaster relief
dolly parton stood by the lgbtq community her entire life
dolly parton personally helped fund the moderna vaccine
if there was a right side of something she was on it
Dolly Parton made the world immeasurably better and left behind a truly incredible legacy. May we all aspire to be like her.
August 25, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Dolly Parton made the world immeasurably better and left behind a truly incredible legacy. May we all aspire to be like her.
Not for nothin, this is why I open carry on my motorcycle and I'm looking for a good system for it on the bicycle. Violent drivers apparently only respond to the threat of equal force. I wish one of these guys had fired back.
If you live in MA and want to get your license to carry, DM me.
If you live in MA and want to get your license to carry, DM me.
This video is fucking bananas. An SUV driver swerves into a group of cyclists in Florida before shooting at them.
Cops still haven't found the driver: www.local10.com/news/local/2...
Cops still haven't found the driver: www.local10.com/news/local/2...
August 25, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Not for nothin, this is why I open carry on my motorcycle and I'm looking for a good system for it on the bicycle. Violent drivers apparently only respond to the threat of equal force. I wish one of these guys had fired back.
If you live in MA and want to get your license to carry, DM me.
If you live in MA and want to get your license to carry, DM me.
There have been multiple occasions where gravity assist has me speeding (25-30mph) in a 20mph zone, and drivers will still lay on their horn and punish pass me. There is simply no speed on a bicycle that is fast enough for a driver, and they do not care if their impatience endangers you.
I would like the "just take the lane" vehicular cyclists to experience taking the lane on an e-bike while going the speed limit (25 mph) only to have two cars speed by you in close succession with little space. Taking the lane is sometimes necessary but it will never replace safe infrastructure.
August 24, 2026 at 9:04 PM
There have been multiple occasions where gravity assist has me speeding (25-30mph) in a 20mph zone, and drivers will still lay on their horn and punish pass me. There is simply no speed on a bicycle that is fast enough for a driver, and they do not care if their impatience endangers you.
Wild to see the classic tough on crime term "crack down" used by an org that bills itself as opposed to exactly that sort of rhetoric. Anyway there have been a grand total of 247 cases of gunshot injuries/death involving "ghost guns" since 2013, nationwide. Hardly seems like an emergency. #mapoli
I put together pages on 8 of the 9 MA ballot questions highlighting what they would do, why yes/no, who is behind them, and links for more info.
#mapoli
www.progressivemass.com/2026ballot/
#mapoli
www.progressivemass.com/2026ballot/
2026 Ballot Questions
Your Progressive Guide to the 2026 Ballot
This November, Massachusetts will see *9* statewide ballot questions, a historic number. But we've got you covered. ✅VOTE YES ON 1 to expand the public...
www.progressivemass.com
August 18, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Wild to see the classic tough on crime term "crack down" used by an org that bills itself as opposed to exactly that sort of rhetoric. Anyway there have been a grand total of 247 cases of gunshot injuries/death involving "ghost guns" since 2013, nationwide. Hardly seems like an emergency. #mapoli
Thinking a lot these days about the video of that Philly Black Panther Party member singing the Safelite jingle with a 12ga slung across his chest.
Video of an ICE agent pulling a gun on a wife and mother, who is a US citizen born and raised in the area, near Bailey's Crossroads in Northern Virginia yesterday.
Chillingly, they claimed she “almost ran them over” until she told them she had video proving that was a lie.
Chillingly, they claimed she “almost ran them over” until she told them she had video proving that was a lie.
August 12, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Thinking a lot these days about the video of that Philly Black Panther Party member singing the Safelite jingle with a 12ga slung across his chest.
A private right of action for refusing to fulfill public records requests would probably go a long way toward forcing compliance. MSP needing to pay out thousands of dollars a week would probably prompt someone to say "hey, maybe we should hustle a bit more."
The State Police are to blame for ignoring records requests, but lawmakers are to blame for letting them get away with it for so long. Ultimately, we need more structural reforms to the Public Records Law to hold law-breaking agencies like the State Police accountable.
Mass law enforcement misconduct news, Aug. 3-9
Judge finally calls out State Police for systematically violating the Public Records Law
massdump.ghost.io
August 11, 2026 at 3:02 PM
A private right of action for refusing to fulfill public records requests would probably go a long way toward forcing compliance. MSP needing to pay out thousands of dollars a week would probably prompt someone to say "hey, maybe we should hustle a bit more."
#mapoli this one's for you. The legislature has kicked the can down the road on real solutions to violence for decades, and now wants you to be satisfied with virtue signaling lip service. Business as usual here in the Commonwealth. November's our opportunity to tell them that's not good enough.
📣 Attention Massachusetts folks!
Go talk to your friends, family, neighbors, enemies, etc. about voting No on 9 this November.
Use and share this handy eight page explainer, written by one of our members, which walks through the bill and the referendum.
We can do this!… #NoOn9 #Massachusetts
Go talk to your friends, family, neighbors, enemies, etc. about voting No on 9 this November.
Use and share this handy eight page explainer, written by one of our members, which walks through the bill and the referendum.
We can do this!… #NoOn9 #Massachusetts
Facebook
dlvr.it
August 10, 2026 at 9:38 PM
#mapoli this one's for you. The legislature has kicked the can down the road on real solutions to violence for decades, and now wants you to be satisfied with virtue signaling lip service. Business as usual here in the Commonwealth. November's our opportunity to tell them that's not good enough.