Category: Eric’s writings and Poetry

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EK Statement on Brandon Baxter of the Cleveland 4

“I don’t normally write men political prisoners because I have had bad
experiences… but I hear you are safe”

I cannot tell you how many letters I get that open this way. Stories of
unwanted sexual conversation, requests for photos and attempts to start
relationships. It is not difficult to not violate women. I do it every
day when responding to letters.
A question for men in our community….Why are we being such creeps?

I remember the first time a female comrade called me out. I was in high
school and it was over me being a creep about a facebook picture. I
thought I was being funny or cute and made a comment that didn’t seem
out of line to me at all..She didn’t call me out in front of everyone,
instead just replied to my message, ”Eric I thought we were friends,
you are making me feel less”. This one sentence stays with me still
today because I never again wanted to ever make someone feel that way,
whether we were comrades, friends, partners, anything. That sentence
changed my entire life because it was the first chance to hold myself
accountable, to look at myself and see a chance to grow. We didn’t have
the language to express what was really happening, I was being a
patriarchal creep, that’s the reality..but she knew I was making her
feel less, and that was enough, that should ALWAYS be enough. That
chance to grow didn’t end in highschool, it didn’t end when I turned 20
or 30..this is a continual growth, a continual re-evaluation of what is
ok and what isn’t. Even now when my partner lovingly calls me out on
being patriarchal, I listen and take it very seriously, so that I don’t
ever make someone feel ”less” ever again. There is no perfection here,
there is no finished product, but there is a desire to always do better
and to always grow.

What I am seeing right now from certain people and parts of the radical
community, the MALE political prisoner community, makes me absolutely
sick to my fucking stomach. In prison you may find yourself having to do
things to survive that make you feel uncomfortable or gross, and that
sucks. But there is NEVER a reason to hurt, manipulate, lie to, bash,
coerce, trick, or in general be greasy to female supporters (or any
supporters really). Being a political prisoner does not entitle you to
be a misogynistic, manipulative piece of shit. Having support isn’t a
license to take advantage of people’s feelings or solidarity, to use
them for your own purposes. It isn’t ok in the streets, it isn’t ok
behind bars. We need to walk our talk on this issue, at least I do. We
need to call out the people who act this way, or think this is ok.

Brandon from the Cleveland 4 has done all those things listed above and
more, admittedly and purposely.  When given the chance to do the right
thing, to be held accountable, not only did he reject those options but
instead he chose to victim blame. He has done major harm to different
women in the community who tried to support him. And since that is the
case, I want nothing to do with this guy. I don’t want to be associated
with him in any way, and that includes being associated with people who
still condone or apologize for him. If you have romanticized prison to
the extent to where you think this behavior is okay just because he has
been oppressed, then please lose my address.

How we treat each other isn’t a game.  The women in our community still
have to deal with rampant patriarchy and sexism and still have to deal
with being called liars and exaggerates when they speak up. I bet we all
know of a hushed story about a man in our community who has problematic
behavior towards women. When these behaviors are silenced it just puts
more women in danger of experiencing them. This isn’t the future I want;
this isn’t how I want our revolution to look like. I stand with our
female comrades and I know many many others do as well, and when we see
behavior like this, we need to work on it, and if that isn’t seen as an
option, then we need to smash it out. We need to start saying these
things out loud, and as men it’s time for US to start holding each other
accountable and stop relying on femme folks to do the emotional labor of
this.

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Medical Horrors at FCI Florence

*****We (EK support crew) would like to say this situation is representative of a bigger problem within the BOP. There was recent information that has emerged that shows that the way the BOP is handling the hiring freeze is to have nurses double as cops. To quote Nurse Hendricks “I am a guard first and a nurse second” and THAT is the problem. In the medical field folks are asked to do no harm. Meanwhile they are asked to partake in the psychological torture that prison guards carry out and here is the kicker on the same people they are tasked to keep alive and healthy. One can not be in charge of the health of a person while at the same time the other aspect of their job is to dehumanize them.  *****

Since I have been at FCI Florence I have seen some real cruelty and
vileness at a level I didn’t think was possible, ugliness that would
make your skin crawl. No, it wasn’t from the gangs or the drug dealers,
it was from certain members of the Medical Team. Specifically R.N.
Hendricks. Fuck RN Hendricks.

Imagine walking out of breakfast at 630 into the freezing cold mountain
air. Once your feet step right outside you see someone wearing scrubs
and a smile, and you assume this is a helpful caring person. You are
sadly mistaken. Within seconds that person is in your face literally
screaming ”SPREAD EM!”, referring to your legs. This person will then
proceed to ”pat” you down so aggressively you would be forgiven for
mistaking this pat down for an assault. That assault quickly becomes a
Sexual Assault when she forcibly grabs your penis and balls, forces her
hand between your ass cheeks, laughing horrifically, muttering to
herself ”no one is getting past me today!”. This is what life is like
for many men at FCI Florence.

You may be asking yourself why she is taking this so fucking personal,
that is because she sees herself as a ”cop first, nurse second, so
don’t try to fuck with me!”. to which one inmate replied ”that
explains the quality of your health care..” When an inmate tells her to
keep her fucking hands off of his dick, her response is to quip ”Well
you shouldn’t have come to prison!”, before writing up that inmate for
having the audacity to not want to be sexually assaulted. Is she looking
for knives or escape tools you may ask? Is she doing it to protect
herself and her co-workers? Nope, she is looking for extra milks that
people may smuggle back to supplement their protein intake. I assure you
that no one has ever hid a milk carton in their ass cheeks. Most
prisoners held captive here at the FCI have had to deal with this
sadistic handsy creep on this level, but some have to deal with her on a
much more serious level, and at that more serious medical level
Hendricks gets to really express her ugliness and hatred toward inmates.

There amount of horrors that she is accountable for is staggering and
hard to put into paragraph form. Inmates with long histories of seizures
have regularly had their dosages reduced by her-without doctors
permission or knowledge- leading to ugly, violent seizures. If you make
the mistake of having a seizure on the 2nd teir, you can expect to be
carried down the steps not on a gurney, but by 4 members of staff,
dragging you like a sack of potatoes. Inmates with cancer have REGULARLY
been denied doctor follow ups (despite the doctors request), denied
medicine prescribed by the doctor, and had information continually
withheld by RN Hendricks. There are countless grievances against her for
ignoring actual doctors’ orders, losing medical inhalers, misplacing
medicine, and changing dosages. I know this because I help type many of
these grievances, and every time my heart aches for my comrades who have
to go through this.

Imagine your brother, father or grandfather has had a doctor order
testing for cancer, only to have RN Hendricks cancel the testing.
Imagine them needing medicine for some disorder, only to have RN
Hendricks change the medicine completely or deny it all together. This
ruins lives. Recently she had the goons run into the room of an elderly
inmate with colon cancer whom the doctor had ordered to have a walker.
Was she racing in to help him? Fuck no; she was taking the walker back,
despite the inmate having the approval forms on hand. This is real. This
is serious. We have no other medical recourse. How does R.N. Hendricks
justify this? ”Shouldn’t have came to prison”. Recently an inmate
filed a lawsuit against her after he went to the sick-call window
complaining of pain and swelling in his testicles and she refused him
service. He went back every day and each time she denied him help until
it got so swollen they had to remove the damn thing. This isn’t shocking
to the people inside, we see it happen all the fucking time.

Hendricks is a soulless maggot, but she could not do this without
approval or permission from above. She, like every member of this
fascist brigade, answers to higher ups. She cannot act alone. She is
permitted to do this by the Bureaucrats who do not remove her from her
post. By their refusal to act, they are not only allowing it to
continue, but condoning the behavior, and why wouldn’t they? This is
systematic abuse at its finest and this is what the BOP is masters of.
The prison shields, protects, tolerates and accepts her behavior and the
literal blood is also on their hands. R.N. Hendricks is an agent of a
system that brutalizes other human beings, and as long as this system
exists it will continue to act accordingly.
Fuck R.N. Hendricks..Until all are free

-EK

UPDATE

****So to update on that I feel it’s important that people know that I
was called into the Lt’s office by Lt. Estrada and asked whether I had
been sexually assaulted or not. If I said yes I would be placed in
Protective Custody and the police would be called and an investigation
would develop which would lead to me being shipped. I am not an idiot.
If I said yes and then refused to follow up that is another shot and I
would get disciplined for that. I was told to sign a piece of paper
saying I was never sexually assaulted by Hendricks. It is important to
note that I never said I was, and only pointed out her very aggressive
and questionable behavior. I signed that paper and went to visit with
you. ****

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“J. Saunders” a poem by Eric King

Please visit http://www.freehermanbell.org/ to learn more about how you can support Herman Bell

J. Saunders beats elderly, defenseless men
There isn’t any need or reason to sugar coat it
Or spruce it up with bureaucratic jargon
”Used proper force in direction of duty”
He took his bigoted fist and smashed them
into the face, ribs and head of an elderly revolutionary
out of spite and fear and rage
Saunders exploited a horrifying power dynamic
Just like countless others in his position have done
And mauled his insecurities and lack of self-worth
into Herman, knowing there would be no fight back
Lest Herman had a death wish
3 or 4 on one, just like the white gang members
these pigs wish they could openly be, get yer licks in
Decades in and still having to deal with this..
Centuries past and the same old violence
Saunders kept his job so clearly the state of NY sees no problem wtih this
He kept his breathing and bodily functions, which is a certain shame
How many blows were needed, how much pepper spray dispensed
to quell his body and spirit?
How much jealousy rest in Saunder’s insect heart
knowing that Herman is more loved and respected in an hour
than he will be in his entire life?
The racism is real, the hate is real, our enemies have names and addresses
And if you beat our fathers and grandfathers, then you’ll have your name called
and you will have to answer for your actions
J Saunders is a fucking maggot coward
We see you biggot, we know you.
Until All are Free.

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What it looks like to be antifascist in prison

 

Below is a statement written by Eric in October:

What does it look like to be antifascist in federal prison in 2017? It may not be what you think.

If you picture coming into the feds with your fist swinging, taking on every racist, swastika wearing trash you see, that is not a reality. That line of thinking will get us nowhere. Racism at the federal level is very real and played out in a very archaic way. At CCA Leavenworth I pictured going into ANY spot guns blazing, taking on bigots in a very macho, aggressive, violent way. At CCA that was actually somewhat doable, even at Englewood-FCI (low security) it was somewhat a reality because you could dog them out and clown them for their ridiculousness… the reality is though, that the higher up in custody you go and the further west coast you end up, the more serious the game gets and the less likely you are to be able to express your own antifascist ideas without facing some serious backlash.

Everything is racially divided here. Where you eat, when you work out, where you sit, what TV you watch, who cuts your hair, who you live with, who you play games with. For me this was super difficult at first because it felt like a betrayal of who I was. There isn’t any bucking this, it’s shitty and gross but it’s real and VERY serious. No one is going to make an exception and disrupt prison order for the one anti-racist. Having good politics doesn’t make you exceptional or above the others. Being antifascist doesn’t make you a teacher, a preacher, a savior, this horrendous system will not make room for our differing beliefs. You will hear all day long people bashing every race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and nationality, everything that isn’t white-American-straight-male. I had to learn very quickly how to bite my tongue. Calling people out will get you nowhere but hurt. If your beliefs and views are known, that provides more weapons for the maggots to use against you, and some will without a doubt use them. I got called up for this MANY times. I have the word ANTIFA tattooed on my face. I’ve had to learn how to NEVER take the bait, to keep your ideas to yourself and those you are close with. At the end of the day bro-ing out does less than taking conscious action. I’ve been very lucky that early on some old heads took a liking to me. It’s a very thin line between being tolerated and being battered. Screaming, “kill whitey!” and flipping off Trump, expressing yourself, these small things and big things will catch you some wreck, meaning these bigots will beat you off the yard. The other non-racist whites will NOT risk helping you, the other races won’t want to start a race war that gets hundreds hurt to help this one person. Then the folks that get hurt are the folks you are trying to support. There have been times where my ideas got me in a lot of trouble; very many confrontations and disciplining. We must learn how to walk that line of being true to yourself without putting yourself or others in a situation where you’re getting transferred, getting put in the hospital, put in the secure housing unit, or SHU. We will never end the fascism of and within the prison walls and system without dancing in the ashes of the prisons. You must keep yourself alive and safe, it is crucial to return to your loved ones and your community.

With all that said, there are always ways to be you, even if they are more coy or low key than you are used to or prefer. Sometimes just not laughing along to some racist bullshit or agreeing with a horrible comment can say more than any argument or fist could. I have through time found my own way to fight against the racist PSYOP system masterminded by the prison itself. I have found it is important to constantly be conscious and consider the consequences for others when taking actions. In prison with minimal effort your actions can start a race war. And your actions hurt the folks that you are trying to support. Being anti-fascist for me often looks like respectfully removing myself from any political conversation. Socializing and taking classes taught by folks of other races and allowing that to be a moment to connect and engage in dialogue. For me standing up can mean teaching yoga that includes all people. Sometimes offering a jacket or sweater or raising commissary funds for someone who is openly gay and being cast out and harassed is a stand that effects the entire dynamic of the unit. Sometimes it means having the ability to give basic supplies to non-racist white guys coming in so that they don’t have to take them from the white supremacists.  Sometimes it is playing games with other races. Or putting my ego and politics away and letting people of other races vent around me without trying to explain their anger or emotions to them. Being political and antifa does not give me space to try to be their teacher. I sit with Muslims in the library and have my political conversations there (a lot of whites do not like this). My partner drives up to visits with people of other races, forming that unity and solidarity. I recognize a lot of these things may not even be allowed at other spots, or may not even be a big deal at all, but here they allow me to make a big stand against the white race politics. I still read radical books and zines, but I do it in my room, where I do MY time, away from people who live on confrontations, who are addicted to static.

If you put yourself out there verbally, be prepared to stand on it (fight) because you will be challenged and if you’re lucky it’ll be one on one. Small things that happen instinctively can get you in a jam, so it’s smart to always be mindful. I’ve been in jams for laughing at sunken Navy ships, for watching soccer with the Mexicans, for letting a Gay-Black cat in my yoga class… the things that you do by nature may ruffle a lot of feathers, so we need to be prepared to get called into the cell and defend your actions.

The problems that society faces are magnified in prison. Racism, homophobia, violence, are all very accepted and normalized. Being antifascist in prison means putting yourself in a disruptive position. It can mean some lonely times, limited friendships and being isolated and disrespected. How you carry it is up to every individual person and situation. Keeping yourself self-safe is the number one priority. Doing your time and being true to yourself.

Eric would love to hear from you!
Write him at:
Eric King 27090045
FCI FLORENCE
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
PO BOX 6000
FLORENCE, CO  81226

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“Not everyone makes it” a poem by Eric King

 

Not everyone makes it
Not everyone sees a date on the calender
as the second coming, as the first day of their life
Some never get that ressurection
We all do our part, and some of us get tied up
Maybe protested, bured something, broke something, freed something
We acted according to our conscious and got hit
and that fucking sucks, bad.
We have a privilege though, a privilege of having that date
The state fucked us and hurt us and we will never get that time back
and FUCK it hurts! We have stains that will never come clean
and ink on us that will never dry..Bday parties and anniversaries and deaths
Time doesn’t go in reverse and those moments can’t be re-lived
But…we have a future outside..
Some of the people who followed their hearts won’t make it out
20, 30, 40, 50 years captive..Being treated as subhuman
being disregarded as not worthy of love or life or respect
or god damn common decency
They age and become old, yet they are still beaten and robbed
of the dignity their will and spirit and existense deserves
The calender mocks them
and that gate will never show the compassion we deserpately how it will
It just won’t..
Some never make it out and we need to remember them
everytime we hit the streets, every protest we attend
When Herman gets beat we all need to feel those blows
and act accordingly
Everytime the pigs get away with murder we need to remember
that good, loving, brilliant, strong, compassionate people
walked their talk and put their lives on the line to end the barbarity
of the state, to raise their people up
and they carry that struggle everyday and we MUST help
lighten that load always..fight everyday to open that gate
Not with our will but with our action, with our bodies and minds
Until All are Free.