Rhode Island's first drone store will be targeted by a new organization because of concerns about individual privacy and the lack of action by Rhode Island’s General Assembly.
On Saturday, privacy advocates will attend and voice their views at the "grand opening" of Rhode Island's only dedicated drone store, Cloud City Drones at 699 Jefferson Blvd in Warwick, at 10 a.m.
“The issue is not about anything specific to this one store, Cloud City Drones. I would emphasize that our concerns are much more about what legislators need to do than about what a store is doing,” said Randall Rose in an email to GoLocalProv.
Meanwhile, local drone company (www.droners.io) founder Dave Brown pointed to what he said was a recent article that helped break down "myths" about drones. (Read the article HERE).
"This article I think does a great job summarizing what the real problems are," said Brown.
Group Targeting Drones
Rose is head of the organization Rhode Island Coalition to Defend Human and Civil Rights (RICDHCR). The organization is advocating “or limits on both governmental and non-governmental surveillance to preserve Rhode Islanders' quality of life.”
“Our organization is very much interested in all kinds of civil rights and civil liberties issues. Our strongest attention has been on 21st-century technology issues, including drones and surveillance in general, and their effect on rights and quality of life. But we've participated in and organized work on other civil rights and civil liberties issues,” said Rose.
“Drone manufacturers and makers of drone-related software should not be allowed to use data collected by consumer and law-enforcement drones, and should not transfer that information without the consent of the private individuals involved. Drones should be safe, unarmed, and not able to do physical damage. Law enforcement should acquire drones only after a full public hearing, and should use drones only subject to a court order,” said Rose.
Local Locations: Warwick, RI; Seekonk, MA; Holyoke, MA; Manchester, NH; East Haven, CT
The company is proud and public regarding its Christian orientation. Founder David Green says "its true owner is God." The national chain of 560 stores are closed Sundays.
There is currently a suit before the U.S. Supreme Court which claims that, as a "tightly held" family business with Evangelical Christian convictions, it should not have to abide by the Affordable Care Act's mandate that it provide two "objectionable" methods of contraception to its female employees.
These methods are emergency contraception (or Plan B) and various intrauterine devices, which Hobby Lobby owners consider "abortifacients."
Local Locations: Burlington, MA; Chicopee, MA, Peabody, MA; Westborough, MA (Pending); Warwick, RI (Pending)
The American fast-food chain known for ads in which cows encourage customers to eat chicken was the focus of controversy following a series of public comments made in June 2012 by chief operating officer Dan Cathy opposing same-sex marriage.
Cathy’s comments went public just after reports that Chick-fil-A's charitable endeavor, the S. Truett Cathy-family-operated WinShape Foundation, had made millions in donations to political groups that oppose LGBT rights. Activists called for protests and boycotts of the chain, while counter-protestors rallied in support by eating at the restaurants.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he would not allow the company to open franchises in the city "unless they open up their policies.” The former Mayor also wrote a letter to Dan Cathy, stating: "We are indeed full of pride for our support of same sex marriage and our work to expand freedom for all people."
In July, 2012. Chick-fil-A released a statement in July 2012 stating, "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena." 2014 tax filings for 2012 showed the group stopped funding all but one of the criticized organizations.
Many Americans supported boycotts of the company known locally for their iconic Fenway Park sign because they equated it with boycotting Venezuela President Hugo Chávez. Citgo is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of Venezuela.
In 2006 at the United Nations, Chávez called George W. Bush the devil and claimed the U.S. president left a sulfur smell around the U.N. speakers’ podium – strong words, even in light of Bush’s declining polling numbers and popularity in America.
The Venezuelan president was famous for anti-American rhetoric. He referred to the United States as “a bad person,” “an assassin,” and “a violent invader.” He speculated about whether the United States was responsible for a spate of cancer diagnoses among Latin American leftists.
This is not the first time Rhode Islanders have boycotted John Depetro and companies that advertise on his program. This time, however, politicians are on board.
In September, DePetro called two female labor activists whores on his WPRO morning radio show. He was fired from a radio station in Boston for calling a gubernatorial candidate a “fat lesbian.” He and WPRO are bieng sued by a WPRO employee for sexual harassment. His wife took blame for a ratings scandal in which someone from his home address faked industry reporting forms.
Labor leader Maureen Martin is the public face of For Our Daughters, the group that is trying to get DePetro off the air. She’s been joined by at least 14 high-level politicians who say they won’t spend their campaign dollars on WPRO until DePetro is off the air. This list includes Governor Lincoln Chafee, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, U.S. Rep. James Langevin and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung and State Republican Party Chairman Mark Smiley.
Workers initiated a boycott of the Harvard-owned DoubleTree Hotel in Allston last month over the process of deciding whether to join UNITE HERE! Local 26, a Massachusetts-based union that represents Harvard’s dining hall employees.
On Thursday, March 27, workers announced the boycott and asked that guests not meet, eat or sleep at the property until they receive respect and dignity at work.
More than 100 workers were joined by Harvard dining services employees, Harvard undergraduate and graduate students and hotel workers from all over the city. The workers have also found support from City Cambridge Councilors Dennis Benzan, Marc McGovern, Leland Cheung, and Nadeem Mazen.
Workers can unionize in two different ways. One involves a National Labor Relations Board election that leads to a union if 50 percent of workers vote for one. The other way, preferred by the protesting DoubleTree workers, allows workers to sign a card at any time that allows a union to be formed.
