Anarchy: a journal of desire armed. #38, Fall 1993 LETTERS part six @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ DIVINE REHABILITATION Dear editor, You may not believe how I got hold of your magazine (#36 /Spring '93), but this is the honest truth. I got in a poker game one day and it lasted nearly eight hours. This guy ended up owing me a lot of money. He gave me twenty dollars and all his books, his radio and your magazine. To be honest, before I won your magazine I didn't see to much reason to really give too much of a damn about anything. Man, your (my) magazine has really opened my eyes to a lot of things. But that's not the real reason I am writing this letter. The real reason is concerning the lawless confusion and political disorder here in Louisiana. I stole $25 in an unarmed robbery. I was later apprehended, and sentenced to 50 years in a rusted-out cage...simply to "rehabilitate" me (according to the prison authorities). Society supports these cages which house only indigent people! Society is a malevolent mass of morons as far as I'm concerned! I have a friend in here who got drunk one night, thrown in a jail cage, and ended up kicking the toilet off the wall. The courts sentenced him to 12 years in a cage...to "rehabilitate" him! At $20,000 per year, per prisoner, that toilet will cost $240,000... think of all the poor people that money could feed! The state is willing to waste $240,000 to get revenge on a drunk for destroying a stinkin' toilet! You see in Louisiana a toilet is held in higher esteem than 12 years of a man's life! In a materialistic country like Amerikkka it's considered a terrible thing to steal money, but it's okay to put poor people in cages and leave them there until they go mad, and then release them on society! I was a robber when I entered prison at 18. And now after only four years of being "rehabilitated," in a cage, I am contemplating becoming a sniper when released. Society has gotten its revenge on me... they've shown me revenge is the righteous, holy way...that the only way to "rehabilitate" people is to punish, punish, punish! So after completing a four year course in "rehabilitation" I want to spread this "divine rehabilitation" to our wonderful society! Yes...just as the authorities have attempted to ameliorate me by punishment...so in like manner, I do wish to ameliorate society by punishment!...I have reached the inevitable conclusion that society is insane! [...] Darrin Robinson #158443 La. State Prison Jaguar 3-left-3 Angola, LA. 70712 RESPONSE TO MOLLY GILL Anarchy staff and readers, I want to let you know that Molly Gill's letter directed to me in the Spring '93 issue has not gone unanswered. I have written her a brief and not-nasty-enough reply. If anyone wishes to see a copy, all you need to do is send me an SASE. Thanks, Lawrence POB 410681 San Francisco, CA. 94141 A BUNCH OF SCHMUCKS Anarchy, I find it ironic that a magazine that prints the writings of Vaneigem, Debord, and other Situationists and anti-ideological thinkers could also print a bunch of schmucks' appalling attempts at ideologically justifying fucking children. What does fucking children have to do with the revolution of everyday life? Ok, your sexuality is blatantly being suppressed and stifled by laws of a traditional society, and your first step towards happiness is to fuck kids. Maybe if these idiots could really justify this kind of behavior to themselves, then they wouldn't have to ideologically rationalize it to other thinkers. C.N., Tucson, AZ. HORRIFIED Dear Anarchy, I am horrified that people who were sexually abused as children were brainwashed into liking it. It is inhumane that this act of control and violation could be twisted in the victim's mind into an act of affection. My fianc=82 & I were intensely offended by your article on this subject. I am a volunteer worker for a sexual assault support centre. I do not think any of the people calling our crisis line would find your article to be on the avant-garde, cutting-edge of journalism. Nor would they be comforted by your views on healthy adult-child interaction. The person who wrote in that was an incest subject and is now a psychologist saw their sexual abuse as the only filial affection they received from their mother & grandmother. In light of the fact that this person was physically & emotionally abused heavily I can understand why they feel the sexual abuse was a good thing. However, I feel this person needs a lot of counselling themselves & should not be a psychologist. As for the rest of the responses to this article, I found them vague, confusing and back-boneless. If you have something to say, say it! Please don't use jargon & ramble. I used to really enjoy this mag. Now, because of this article, I am not renewing my subscription to Anarchy. L.K., Kelowna, B.C. PS: Print in whole, or don't print at all. No editing. SELF-APPOINTED CENSORS Yo! You! Halt! Cease & desist, ye enemies of the State! It is futile to resist, join us, while ye can! We will rule the future, we can do anything, anyplace, anytime! Witness the shooting death of a Pensacola doctor; expect the body count to rise accordingly (mass graves, a la Guatemala, Panama & Iraq; dug by the National Guard, filled by the Marine [sic] Corpse). John Burt can go on national TV, and proudly espouse to membership in the Ku Klux Klan; the founders of the Ministries to the Preborn, the Lambs of Christ and Operation (Mindfucking) Rescue testify before a House Judiciary Committee & impose their agenda, insisting they be allowed to play a videotape, designed to discredit anyone "Pro-Choice" showing themselves to be the reprehensible assholes they are; an unknown Cuban is indicted on drug trafficking charges, setting the scene for another Bay of Pigs. Remember Bush/Noriega? Probably not, considering the soap opera show trial of Wlm. Kennedy Smith, conve- niently staged at the same time, only 40 odd miles away, setting a dangerous historical precedent; this being the first time the USofA has invaded a sovereign nation, for the sole purpose of kidnapping, prosecuting and imprisoning a foreign head of state, just to shut him up. This coming right after the appointment & subsequent media fuckover concerning Clarence Thomas & his alleged sexual misconduct as regards Ms. Hill & several others. And one cannot help but wonder if "Operation Desert Scam" was nothing more than a CNN/CIA- Pentagon-approved government attempt to play on the short memory, as well as the racist tendencies of the American people, to wit; consider the fact that Geo. Bush's son, Neil, was under indictment for banking fraud, extortion, and myriad other allegations, none of which he did nay jail time for, and for which his cheque probably bounced. That is, if he even bothered with the fine levied for such a royal impropriety. Meanwhile, brother Geo. Jr. sells off his land, oil & stock holdings, days before the "deadline" is imposed, bordering on insider trading like a motherfucker, yet he's never called on it. At the same time, gasoline prices soar, before a shot is fired, and, you can buy your "Kill Hussein" T-shirt right at the pump, along with your requisite flag decal and yellow ribbon; one- stop shopping for phony patriotism. Of course you bought 'em. Now we got "Bubba" Bill & the yuppie housewives from hell, but perhaps I should get to the point, which is this; there is a "new" element at play in these fields, that being an unholy alliance between the fundamentalist "Christian" right-wing religious groups, the Moral Majority (which is neither), the Aryan Nation, Amerikkkan Nazi Party, KKK & ultra-conservative factions, passing themselves off as "Concerned Parents" at a grassroots level[...]. Make no mis- take; these bastards have an agenda; nothing less than a total takeover of local, state & federal level government by year 2000, at which time they are certain their "Jesus/Hitler" is coming back. Using pornography, rock music or media as their "issues," they are able to motivate large numbers of "just plain folks" to approve the actions of these self-appointed censors. They claim they want to "clean up dirty, smutty art" using almost the same words as Adolf Hitler used when he declared it "undermines the purity of the Aryan race." Substitute "Family Values" for "Aryan race" & you get an idea as to where they're coming from. These "Christian" cocksuckers are nationally organized, extremely mobile, above the "law" and arrogant in their certitude of "Victory." If you recall, Hitler was a Christian, also. His SS & field troops wore belts inscribed with the motto: "God is on our side." All I'm trying to say, in a cheap tequila swilling, lemon-sucking way is that we will all have a huge fucking problem if these cheap thugs have their way. Wait till Pres. Pat Robertson & VP Pat Buchanan take office. We will no longer have to speculate as to what life might be like in a totalitarian banana-republic style police state, we will in fact, be living in one. A place where you, too, may "disappear" or "commit suicide" or be "shot trying to escape." I am not trying to be alarmist, and hope I'm not coming off paranoid. I have been on vote strike for nearly 20 years; voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. My political leanings have always been towards the anarchistic, be that Groucho Marxist or John Lennonist; I am pro-psychedelic drugs (the only true pathway to God), pro-choice, a feminist, anti-racist & anti- fascist. That's why this "grassroots" movement disturbs me, and it should you, too. It is happening, even as we speak. They already own nationwide TV & radio franchises, which allow them daily diatribes to a converted audience, saying outrageous shit like "Radical homosexuals are poisoning the water supply with AIDS" and "Abortion causes breast cancer." Don't take my word for it, I have hours of this filth on tape, if you want to hear it. Write me for a sample. I submit it to you, your friends & co-conspirators, that we need to educate ourselves and each other as to the true aims of these latter-day little Hitler-boys & their busybody wives. I would greatly appreciate any correspondence with any groups or indi- viduals who are likewise concerned by this alternative to personal freedoms; the fundamentalist "Christian" police state, coming soon to a mindset near you!!! Word. Increase the Peace, R.E. Bareaux 108 Herndon Ave. Stanford, KY. 40484 PS: A quick postscript; Rev. Wildmon is also a member of the Board of Directors of Focus on the Foetus Family, and is more well known as the man who took on "Mighty Mouse" and won, making accusations that because a fucking cartoon character sniffed a bouquet of flowers & it went up his nose (this is a cartoon) CBS was "de- claring war on our children" by promoting cocaine abuse. He was most recently in Wisconsin w/a few hundred thousand perverts like himself for the purpose of blockading/boycotting Johnson Wax Co. for sponsoring/advertising on shows like "Northern Exposure" and "The Simpsons." [...] NATIONAL SOCIALIST Dear Anarchy, I write to comment on a letter from Librairie Alternative in Anarchy #36. First of all I view myself as a socialist but I have heavy nationalistic beliefs. Also let me state Molly Gill seems like a level headed sister. Molly says we should support white POWs! We should, but this is disputed by Librairie Alternative (hereafter "L.A."). But I am willing to bet L.A. supports black racist/sexists such as the Nation of Islam and other black nationalist groups who teach the white devil concept. If they ac- cept black nationalism, why not white nationalism? White people are being oppressed in this country. Look who can no longer speak their mind with out being called "racist." As for a world Jewish conspiracy mentioned in the letter, I say look around you. New York has more Jews than Israel. I shall also state that those of us who choose to keep our race white by not race mixing are free to do so. I absolutely agree with some of the policies of national socialism. I think Molly Gill has every right to be published in your open letters section. Now I would like to comment on Jason's comment to this letter. He begins with "Fuck white nationalism, fuck Marxist obfuscation." I have never read Jason stating "Fuck black nationalism, fuck capitalism." This is the huge problem with Europeans in this country today. they readily denounce white pride. But they embrace the black nationalists who rant about how evil all white people are. I have seen a lot of black nationalist letters which don't cause an uprise, but when my sister Molly Gill writes a letter, oh shit, you'd think it was Judgment Day. I think you were wrong Jason, you can't denounce one form of nationalism while allowing another more destructive nationalism to be unscathed in your zine. As for "Fuck Marxist obfuscation," I thought that maybe we could work together for a common cause. But I see you don't want this, so be it. I still enjoy your zine for the most part. You also call "authoritarian" Marxists and fascists "enemies of freedom." That is a cold lie. Marxism is a dictatorship of the people and fascism is the uplifting of one's race. If one is to combine the two you have then achieved "peace through revolution" (my statement). You claim communism to be dead, but it's not. The only reason I attack you this way is because I am offended by your attitude towards Europeans. The Red Army won WW2, Stalin's only feat (which is not great). The frame up of Germany by Stalinist forces who conducted the "Holocaust" I doubt you'll publish my letter, but, I am asking you to. Peace through Revolution! Jayson Josef Strieter #186727 Waupan Corr. Institution POB 351 Waupan, WI. 53963-0351 [This letter is too stupid to merit much of a reply. We stand by our unvarying anti-nationalist stance. White or black, racial "nationalism" is unsavory. However, the total confusion here of all the worst aspects of racism, nationalism, authoritarian socialism and, apparently, anti-Semitism as well, makes this letter about as appropriate for this magazine as would be a bowling ball on a bil- liard table. -Jason] OFF THE SHELF Dear Jason/Toni, Buying Anarchy in Tower Records feels decidedly odd, but I'm not going to complain since spreading not just the message but the profile of anarchy can only be a good thing. Issue 36 was a fine one and I continue to applaud your move to glossy coffee-table magazine format, since I'm something of an armchair anarchist myself. Seriously, to have views that most people associate with hairy punks expressed in a cogent and visually stimulating form, and available off the shelf of a major record chain, is very encouraging. [...] Keep up the most excellent work. Yours, J.W., London, England FREE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS Dear folks at Anarchy, Greetings from "Oblando", the number one tourist destination in the world. [...] If the free exchange of ideas and information is to occur any- where, the halls of local gov't would seem likely hubs of such activity. But on 12/09/91 I was driven from city hall, as Candide was from Westphalia, "at the point of a jackboot." Detained for nearly an hour by an armed uniformed cop and the mayor's chief of staff (who is also an armed police lieutenant), I was finally issued a trespass warning, banning me from the building "and its curtilage" for one year, with threat of arrest. The ACLU of Central Florida sued the chief of staff for $10,000 in Orange County circuit court in 03/92 for violating my 1st (Free Speech), 4th (Search/Seizure, because I was actually "seized"), and 14th (False Imprisonment without Due Process) rights. The city's risk management carrier (they're self-insured) paid for his defense and settled out of court in 09/92 for $5,000. (A week or so later, another Orlandoid settled a case with the city for $16,000. He'd been arrested & booked for wearing a ski-mask & black shirt with "police" scrawled on it, and passing out handbills poking fun at our local vice squad. The arrest took place on Halloween night, 1990. Among thousands of masks on the street, his was the only one cops didn't like.) Even before I sued, on 01/13/92 (my fellow) members of Central Floridians Against Censorship went to city hall to distribute more copies of the newsletter that caused the trespass warning. They were met at the front door by the city attorney, a mayor's aide, two employees with video cameras, and six OPD goons. They were handed copies of the enclosed "city policy," which was hastily prepared by bureaucretins operating in reactionary mode, and is un- signed, undated and on City of Orlando letterhead. It states that "DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBILLS, LEAFLETS, AND/OR OTHER PRINTED MATERI- ALS IS NOT PERMITTED WITHIN THE CITY HALL OFFICE BUILDING." (As written, this would seem to prevent a citizen from even such Anarchy as hand-delivering a letter to one's city commissioner.) I have since been writing to the city attorney, with no reply, and to the newly elected (and first ever female) mayor, also with no reply yet, as to whether they will continue enforcement of this policy. I have repeatedly brought the policy to the attention of the editorial board of the Orlando Sentinel and they have not acknowledged my correspondence. Anarchy is only the second out-of- town publication (so far) to hear this story; Gauntlet was the first and they heard it from the editor of the Orlando Spectator, a local alternative 'zine/paper. I have not yet told it to the gang that does the Bill of Rights section near the front of Playboy. Anarchy is the first to hear this other item from "Oblando" (world's #1 tourist spot): on 07-27-92 the City Council unanimously approved (without comment) a nine page [...] between the Barbara Gillmann Gallery (270 NE 39th St., Miami, FL. 33137) and an entity known as the "City of Orlando Public Art Advisory Board." The contract was for the exhibition by Florida Hispanic Artists, to hang in the city hall Terrace Gallery from Aug.-Dec.'92. On page 3 of 9, fourth paragraph, the contract stated: "ALL ART WILL BE ORIGINAL WORK DEPICTING NO VIOLENCE, NUDITY, RACIAL PREJUDICE, OR STRONG RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL OVERTONES." Gillmann was paid $6,000 for curating. This last is purely coincidental to the goings on in our city hall, the top of which is superbly built to one day perfectly accommodate a giant one of those black mouse ear beanie-caps, sold by the millions just down the highway, by Walt Disney's heirs. Orlando city hall is barely two years old. Its 1958 predecessor can be seen being blown to rubble, near the beginning of the film Lethal Weapon 3, as the two stars run from the front door. Please let me know if you hear plans for production of Lethal Weapon 4, or other movies in search of buildings to be dynamited. I wish to nominate Orlando's "new" city hall. Love, from "Oblando," don't come here and spend any money. Michael, Camarata Orlando, FL. IWW FAR FROM IDEAL Dear Anarchy, Jason, in his response to my letter defending the IWW (Anarchy #36), suggested that I was arguing that the IWW should be above criticism. I never made such a claim. I just feel that if we are ever going to be able to work together as revolutionaries, then a distinction must be made between criticism and baseless accusations. Jason simply as no evidence to prove that the IWW is a political "gang" or "racket" with totalitarian aims. I can understand how he feels about the slogan "One Big Union," but as I showed by citing the IWW Preamble, the reference is intended to convey the notion of working-class solidarity as an alternative to the narrow self-interest practiced by the AFL-CIO. Jason, however, prefers not to take the IWW at its word for anything. Then why insist on holding one phrase against the IWW, "One Big Union," while not taking serious anything else it says? Isn't there a contradiction here? Besides, if the IWW were to change its slogans to something more "anarchistically correct," Jason would be no more likely to join it than before, because he opposes all unions and organizations, anarchist ones as much as non-anarchist ones. My experience within the IWW, as well as co-operatives, the anti- nuke movement, and various anarchist federations, has taught me that the IWW is certainly no less democratic nor less member-run than the average, and probably a little more than most. I have witnessed informal hierarchies, and careerism at work in many organizations, and have never been one to hesitate to call this to other peoples' attention and fight against it. Certainly the IWW has had its own share of these problems, and its organizational structure is far from ideal (if organizations could ever be so). But I have never witnessed the IWW recruiting "cannon fodder," nor cynically exploiting the ecology movement, women's movement, or any other radical cause. When the IWW supports something, no matter how misguided, it has always been honest and sincere about it. Again, I put it to Jason, if you have proof, where is it? Show us the smoking guns and dead bodies, not just hearsay and gossip, or the Gospel according to Cammatte and Collu. I recognize the role of criticism in the revolutionary movement. It keeps everyone on their toes, and ultimately can help to find answers to our problems. Perhaps Anarchy should be willing to take some honest criticism yourselves. Fraternally, Jeff Stein, Champaign, IL. Jason responds again... Beware of organizational manipulation I have no desire to continue taking the digressions of this argu- ment further and further from the original point I made in a footnote to a review I wrote back in Anarchy #28 in the Spring of 1991! At that point I commented on the opportunistic way in which it appeared that those in control of the IWW newspaper made the decision to suddenly back Earth First! in the Summer of 1988=FEand to do so in a fairly jingoistic manner at that. At this same time, those wobblies who were critical of this organizational decision (from what I heard from a couple IWW members supportive of EF!) were not allowed access to voice their opinions in this same news- paper. I certainly don't know the whole story involved here, and it isn't the most earthshaking piece of news, anyway, at this point five years later! But it does point to the existence of typical forms of manipulation and informal hierarchies which all anarchists ought to be very concerned about eliminating. In this case, at least, Jeff Stein obviously isn't so concerned. Jeff is the one making a mountain out of the molehill of the "One Big Union" slogan. I consider its use a mere symptom of the ideo- logical mindset of the IWW administrative and propaganda hierar- chies (those in control of the public image presented by the organization), not something that can be taken as a serious plan of action for implementation by such a minuscule group. I suspect that this has become a major concern of Jeff's because it serves him as a diversion from any talk about other specific and genuine problems with union organization, like the episode I mention above. (Howev- er, just to let readers know that I'm not the only one concerned by the "OBU" slogan, a recent IWW General Secretary-Treasurer, Jess Grant, has been quoted as writing, "If we are to redefine the IWW, as we must to be successful, taking a hard look at the [concept of] One Big Union and its scary implications is a good place to start.") As for the accuracy of my characterization of the IWW as one of the many leftist organizations which function as "political rack- ets," rather than repeating myself I suggest that readers check out my reply to M.S.J. in Anarchy #34 pp.68-9. Or for a more general theoretical discussion of the phenomenon see a copy of On Organi- zation by Cammatte and Collu (a pamphlet available for $1.00 post- paid from C.A.L., POB 1446, Columbia, MO. 65205-1446). GREEK ANARCHISTS Dear Anarchy and readers, I've been reading your journal for the last couple of years and found it quite an interesting work, surely, one of the best in the international anarchist press. I would very much like to have contact with anarchists from U.S.A. and I suppose that the best way to do this is by exchanging letters and anarchist material (or even visiting each other's country!). Thus, I send you this periodical that we publish in Thessaloniki, in Greece. I believe you have already had an idea about the anti-authori- tarian movement in Greece. In the issue #35 there was an article sent by the comrades from the information bulletin Stiu Tsilia (who are active in Thessaloniki, too). As I've spent the last year abroad I'm not the best person to inform you about what's happening now in Greece. Anyway, I suppose that many of you are more or less informed about the situation in the Balkans and the war in former- Yugoslavia. Of course the international mass-media had found guilt just in the face of the Serbs, yet, the truth is that almost every power in the area is to be blamed together with the countries of the "European Community" and, of course, the U.S.A. whose role as the Empire of the New World Order strikes dangerously once more. On the other hand, the societies of the Balkan countries are not yet ready to resist a possible war and that is the worst of all. However, in Greece the anti-militarists are able to fight against such a possibility, perhaps more than in any other Balkan country; what is of a great need is a permanent and willful contact between the anti-authoritarians of the area, Greeks, Turks, Bulgarians, Serbs, Rumanians, etc. I'm also sending you the addresses of the anarchist groups in Thessaloniki. In a future letter I'll also send addresses from other groups in other towns of the country. Anarchist and Libertarian Groups in Thessaloniki Committee for Total Objectors fax: (031) 285604 PO Box 50042 Thessaloniki 54013 Greece Ektos Nomoi (@ newspaper) PO Box 11251 54110 Thessaloniki Greece Radio Utopia (alternative radio) tel: (031) 214272 Konstantopoulou 1 54634 Thessaloniki Greece Mavro Rodo (@ periodical) PO Box 10005 54110 Thessaloniki Greece As it was mentioned in the article presented by the Bulletin Stiu Tsilia, there are also two occupations in Thessaloniki where anti- authoritarian groups are gathered and also where parties and concerts take place. I really hope that either Anarchy or its readers will use the addresses I've sent. The communication between anarchists is as essential as ever. Fraternally, Loukis Hassiotis Filikis Eterias 29 54621 Thessaloniki Greece