Why 'Pirates' and why Utah?
I tried to explain the answers to these on the phone during the interview, but I guess it didn't stick. Whatever the case, I feel the need to add my two cents' worth.
Rum is hard to come by in Utah. At least, good rum. My perusal of state liquor stores has turned up only a few of the more commercial varieties. And nothing beats a good Cruzan, I'm told. Of course, I don't really drink, so I can't really say. And no, I'm not a Mormon pirate, though speaking with the Mormons, I'm surprised they don't support us more. But not... you know... a lot. So, why call ourselves pirates?
The industry definition of what makes a pirate is ANYONE who copies anything that someone else made without permission. Therefore, anyone who speaks a language to be understood by anyone else is a pirate. The original people aren't here to ask, and I doubt highly that Oxford University (the main authority on the English language in all its forms) would be suing everyone in the English-speaking world for speaking English. It's not really irrelevant to equate this kind of limitation to free speech, because that's very much what this is all about on our side.
On the industry's side, it's all about THEIR bottom line. It's a war to preserve profit, plain and simple. It's a means to ensure that they get to continue choosing who is made a star, and it's a means to control a population who doesn't necessarily want to be controlled. We accept their epithet as a badge of honor.
As to the reasoning behind starting in Utah, this is also simple: diversity. We do honestly have a great deal of diversity in Utah--diversity which goes largely untapped because of the way that the political districts in Utah are set up. In addition, many of the people I've spoken to are convinced that their vote never has any meaning. Unifying these people could bring attention to their plights, as well.
In addition, what makes Utah a "no-brainer" is that the initial requirements are low, and there is a requirement for the party to continue to garner 2% of the popular vote each year. This means that if we succeed in Utah, our chances are better; however, if we fail, it doesn't mean that our chances elsewhere are worse. There isn't honestly a really negative side to starting in Utah. It's win-win.
Arrr. Save the world. Be a Pirate.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
