There’s more to life than Judgements
And gavels
Dogmas and logos, division and
Squalor
There’s more to love than ego & control
Connections between beating hearts
And the rain that feeds the soil.
Existence is observance
And love can mean just learning
Either we let go or we grow
– EK
This poem was written by Eric in solidarity with all of the long-term eco, anarchist and trans prisoners, it was inspired by his solitary confinement experience.
“Poem About Darkness”
I may never open these eyes again
who knows maybe I’m already dead
three inches of sunlight sure feels nice
when the sun goes
so do my eyes
traces on the walls shifting
can’t tell if I am falling or lifting
no reading
no thinking
thoughts of a vacation underground
always mad, always broken
is this actually happening
or did something snap
one phone call a day
drags me out of this cellar
what if tomorrow it doesn’t
break this darkness
This poem was written in solidarity with the Baltimore rebels
They couldn’t take the heat
egos as fragile as their power structure
bones break, convictions never
they think the lions been put down
more thorn in the paw
they strike what they fear
murderers and brutes, for our safety
our skulls are crunched
you are not the victim
you are a revolutionary
battle tested joining good company
confused pig bastards
forgot that you’re the shark
and the blood is in the water
their violence validates further
the struggle that forces the beast
to view its true self
reflections of hatred and spite
battle tested, keep holding that mirror
An 8 month update from The Eric King Defense Committee
Eric is facing four felony counts at the Federal level:
Count 1: Used a dangerous instrument to cause death or danger [18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) and (b)]—maximum 20 years in prison
Count 2: Attempted to damage or destroy a building by fire or explosives [18 U.S.C. § 844(i)]—minimum 5 years, maximum 20 years in prison
Count 3: Explosive used in commission of a felony [18 U.S.C. 844(h)]—maximum 10 years in prison (to be served after any other sentences are complete)
Count 4: Possession of an unregistered firearm (i.e., Molotov cocktail) [26 U.S.C. 5861(d)]—maximum 10 years in prison
The state alleges that Eric was responsible for an attempted firebombing on a Kansas government building. If convicted he faces anywhere from 5 to 30 years in Federal prison. His trial is set for Monday, July 13th at 9am.
The state exists to dominate and oppress the people. Rebellion exists to challenge and ultimately destroy the state. When the state singles out people to punish for acts of rebellion, we must support them as part of our struggle against this oppressive apparatus.
The state also has a long history of suppressing the anarchist movement and targeting anarchists. In this case, the affidavit states that the Kansas City cops claimed to have identified Eric on surveillance footage in an investigation of “anti-government/anarchy graffiti” and alleges that he made social media posts talking about a group purportedly called “KC Fight Back Insurrectionist Collective.” [Note: To our knowledge, the KC cops have not charged Eric with any graffiti-related crimes.] The state targeting Eric is just a part of this war against political dissidents (and those the government deems to be dissidents or threats).
For these reasons, we support Eric and all targets of state repression. In Eric’s case, he is facing up to 30 years behind bars for an alleged action in which there is no victim. We do not need to go into details about the absurdity of this potential punishment in contrast to the violence of the state, such as the way the police suffer little to no consequences for summarily executing people in the streets—primarily people of color and young black men in particular. Clearly, the state is not interested in punishing violence, but in punishing even the faintest signs of rebellion against their authority.
As Eric has been singled out to receive this punishment, we are stepping up for his political defense against these charges and in support of rebellion against the state and all systems of oppression. We invite you to join us in this effort!
Eric King has spent the last 8 months in pre-trial detention, and we’d like to take this opportunity to help everyone get to know this individual we are all in solidarity with. Since his arrest in September of last year he has faced much adversity there at CCA Leavenworth, but he has maintained his principles, and still he pushes forward. For the first 7 months even though he is vegan the prison refused to give him a vegan tray. He came together with comrades and with the help of Vegans In The Prison System he was able to win a cruelty free diet. He is housed in the segregation unit and is currently fighting for medical care for some potentially dangerous symptoms. We hope there’s something you might find in what follows that will help you out if you are someone who has wanted to engage but is having trouble writing that first letter or even if you’re someone who has a correspondence with Eric already.
Prior to his arrest Eric had spent a good deal of time traveling and organizing for many causes and passions. For a brief period, he helped run a free-if-you-can’t-pay daycare. He was licensed and wanted to do his part to even the playing field of privilege and make sure that low-income families have a chance to get by. Class struggle has always been something that he holds dear to his heart. He has been vegan for 10 years and animal rights has always been a passion for him as well. He has also been active in trans rights activism and anti-racist organizing.
Eric is interested in science and astronomy. He loves to read about the universe and the stars! He is an avid reader and loves books ranging from radical ideology to comedy, to science and beyond. Additionally, he has a deep love for art and loves receiving all types of art! He also loves to get articles and stories about resistance struggles from around the world.
At the age of 17, Eric lost his father. The passing of his father was life changing for him, as he was thrown into a period of grief and soul searching. Eric spent a year in seminary. He had great dreams of being a revolutionary priest but didn’t find an environment for that in seminary. He also boxed in his youth and won many titles. He still regrets not taking his boxing career pro. Even though he is left-handed, 30 of his boxing matches were fought right-handed! He still has a passion for boxing and loves hearing about matches! Eric also has a love for soccer, he has passionately followed Manchester United since he was a child of spending time in the UK. His uncle lives in Glasgow and has been a great influence in his life. He loves talking about United and following their season and games.
For the future, he dreams of settling in and building a life with his partner. He also wants to see the Redwoods, various mountains across the occupied territories commonly referred to as the United States, and blue whales in the Pacific Northwest. He also wants to finish visiting all 7 continents (he still needs to cross Antarctica off his list!), write a book, and see old friends!
July 13th is less than two months away and we are really hoping to pack the court room once Eric King’s trial begins. We’d like to show the federal court of Kansas City, MO that there are people who support Eric and are willing to be there for him from the Midwest and other parts of the country as well, but most importantly we’d like to be there with a good number of folks, to raise Eric’s morale and to show him that we have his back. Please get in touch with us if you’d like to come to join the court support efforts on July 13th by contacting us at [email protected].
Also, please do not forget that the crowd funding website to support Eric King is still live. So, visit it here; http://fnd.us/c/0yoZc/sh/a4jVK6 and donate if you can, but whether you can or can’t donate please pass it along and help us by making sure it reaches every corner of the world. Be on the lookout for support t-shirts to be added to the fundraiser soon.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Eric King thus far by handing out a support Eric King flyer , making a donation, no matter how small or large, writing a letter of support , committing to attend a court date, or sharing his story far and wide to help Eric gain support from all over.
Let’s continue to show the world that Eric King is not alone!
In solidarity,
The Eric King Defense Committee
Letters of support can be set to:
Eric King
27090045
CCA Leavenworth
100 Highway Terrace
Leavenworth, KS 66048
Eric sends SO MUCH love to folks! We will have an in depth update coming this week but Eric wants me to let folks know that because there was some confusion with his commissary so he has been unable to purchase stamps this week. If folks are waiting on a letter he is unable to send one out until Wednesday next week. Love and Rage!
I have a little update on Eric. He still hasn’t received anything back from his medical request. Beyond that his light has been out for a week and a half now and they have not changed it. He says this is the first time he has felt lonely since being locked up. At night time when it gets dark it starts to feel super sad for him and has to stand by his window when he wants to read. The other day Eric found chicken under his green beans on his vegan tray, he isn’t sure if it was an accident or a targeted incident.
Eric has been following the Baltimore uprising and sends all his love and solidarity to the folks fighting!
(A) (///)
-R
If anyone has been looking for a book to send he really wants to read angelas ashes!!
Withholding food from my brain
they attempt to starve
revolutionary minds
I will eat
fueling on solidarity
surviving on truth
the words they oppress
desserts of abuse
which they indulge
will make their stomachs
a larger target
steal my food
you will not steal my cause
This is a poem Eric wrote last week during his struggle for a vegan diet. We are ECSTATIC to report that yesterday Eric won his battle and has a vegan tray!! Eric thanks everyone for the solidarity that gave him strength to fight. He said without folks standing behind him he wouldn’t have been able to be in a place to fight for himself! When they handed him his tray they said to him “I guess your comrades got you a vegan tray” Thank you so much everyone!!
A HUGE thanks to Support Vegans In Prison for their help!! http://www.supportvips.org/
Eric is still very sick. He requested medical care last week and has yet to hear back if he is going to receive it. He is extremely fatigued and to stay awake he has to force himself to get up every half an hour or so and do jumping jacks or some sort of vigorous exercise. After everything he eats he is experiencing extreme stomach pain. Eric is also experiencing loss of vision and extreme vertigo, memory loss among other symptoms. These symptoms are extremely serious and could indicate a deficiency in vitamin B-12 which can happen to vegan folks. The long term effects of this deficiency can be devastating. Eric needs to be seen by a doctor.
Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist,
Keep on loving. Keep on fighting.
And hold on, hold on,
Hold on for your life.
(A)
Second time is a charm right? Let’s hope so because our fundraiser is live! Eric is feeling pretty blown away by the support he is receiving. We have been reading him the messages that are being posted to the fundraiser page and they are really inspiring an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for him. Thank you to folks who have contributed, to the folks sharing the blog and fundraiser page and thank you to folks who are reaching out to Eric through letters and notes showing solidarity. No form of solidarity is more valued. To know that he has folks who are behind him and supporting him is more than he could have ever hoped for.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIPp3vAVaFc]
Played this song for Eric yesterday, it has been on his mind a lot lately. He has been in good spirits despite not feeling healthy. Eric has been experiencing more and more very serious symptoms everyday that could be a deficiency like anemia or vitamin b-12 deficiency. The symptoms that Eric is experiencing are very concerning. Eric has requested medical attention, and is waiting on a response.. Eric has been a vegan for 10 years and while he has been in CCA Leavenworth he has not been receiving adequate nutrition. For Eric it is a good week if he gets a serving of veggies and grain each day and a fruit twice a week. Because he has to pick through the tray of food for vegan food he can eat he is living primarily on processed food from commissary. For this Eric needs both money on his account and for them to allow him to use his money to purchase items from commissary. There have been weeks that Eric has even been denied commissary with no reason given to him.
Eric’s youcaring fundraiser has been taken down without notice or reason given. We are currently in the process of trying to get it reinstated. Even though the funds that were on the account are a small amount to most, they can mean the difference to Eric between having food for the week or not. We are hoping that youcaring will allow us to recover the funds that were donated. We have included on the donate page instructions that will allow folks to donate directly to Eric’s commissary for the time being.
Eric appreciates every bit of solidarity and energy sent his way, it is indeed carrying him through this trying time. Eric has a request for articles related to space and science! He is feeling increasingly disconnected from the world and would love any and all printed articles.
-R
(A)
If this is my home, it feels broken into
where’s my warm welcome?
the family before was beaten and evicted
hard to settle in, hard to get cozy
if this is my home, who’s misplaced my dishes
the silverware is tarnished and rusted
shelves sit empty, books besieged
why are there bars on the windows
and empty bottles in the bin
this isn’t mine
tear this house down
Its getting harder to recognize myself, and it isn’t only because of the unkempt facial hair mess or the longer-than-comfortable-but-fuck-it mop on top. Every day I evaluate than re-evaluate my stances, beliefs and passions. Nothing else to do in here really. Sometimes I get so bored with myself that I force my brain to shut off, other times my views are so splendidly revolutionary that I swear I will remember them so no need to write them down. Fool. I’m no longer the bubbly jokester or even the positive morale booster, it hasn’t even been a year yet. Or maybe I am and just don’t have anyone to joke with. I steadily keep turning further and further inward, caring less and less about the outside world, minus a select few people and places. Thus I can see how the outside world views prison/prisoners. Not even out of sight out of mind, more; never in sight blinded to sight. All the more miraculous that there is still some who actually do give more than just predisposed mime concerns towards the plight of prisoners. The amount of true despair, pain, disillusionment, confusion & rage behind these walls is earth shaking, and this is just a federal holding facility! The horrors that await inside county, state & federal prisons is a nightmare that society denies its having, a monster it continually sweeps under the bed hoping the kids never hide under there. It’s a pirate’s treasure chest filled with forgotten and abandoned souls who have been shown no other way to survive than through violence. We tell kids to listen to the police, the good guys. So when our kids pull guns and fire hopeless and senselessly into another, should we not award them with badges and promotions, like they’ve seen their role models receive? How can we expect to stop things like rape when we teach boys that they’re strong and in control and that girls exist just for sex, then use the media to instill that same worthlessness into young girls so much that they’re brainwashed to believe it? I don’t recognize myself anymore because I used to love calling girls babe & bitch because “It’s a term of endearment” I would lie to myself. I had no problem telling someone to “quit being a fag” using the Eminem definition of detachment. I used to buy Nike shoes buy plain black tees, buy fucking everything to form an identity, never made anything though, especially an impact. Consumer tool, like everyone else. “I’m different” I would say to myself, railing molly off the bathroom counter at a hipster bar “I talk politics while fucked up, I see this is wrong I am just doing it ironically.” moronically more like. Everyone loves being a weekend warrior, showing up for the rally or protest, fuck up some nazis’ or a brick through a window or two. Then race home to brag about it on tablets and social media. The reason I don’t recognize myself much these years is because back then I didn’t have a personality of my own. Like many I just reflected back on what I thought about being morally, socially & class conscious meant “am I doing it right?” When you look in the mirror and the thing opposite you is ashamed to look back, or too high, it’s time to re-evaluate yourself and do it quick. I am proud of who I was before my arrest and now after. The mental, social and physical changes I began making years ago were beginning to manifest. Was I still a tad too emotional? Probably. Was I still a hypocrite? It’s a human paradox. But my everyday life had evolved, my relationship with oppressive personality traits have matured, the way I was living was my views actualized, put into action. That felt good, real good. Everyone can benefit from some hard evolution. Calling yourself out is hard, yet rewarding, like most difficult things. Nothing feels better though than knowing you were living life the way YOU wanted instead of living the way you thought you should. Lots of improving. Having people around who share ideas, visions of the future, and affinity in reality and not just the obscure ideas, helps make me more honest, more introspective and more happy.
Eric King (A) (///) (V)
NO STEPS BACK!
