#decidingforourselves — Public Fediverse posts

This seems the perfect time to have my edited anthology “Deciding for Ourselves: The Promise of Direct Democracy” do double duty: as an inspiring counternarrative to the idea that the US presidential elections (aka fascism v fascism this year) and states in general are the only option, and as love and solidarity for two friends facing serious federal charges (aka state repression).

If you haven’t yet been following along (which I’d encourage you to do!), this case, as the @free.peppy.and.krystal Instagram page explains, “arose out of an April 18, 2023 demonstration against a University of Pittsburgh–sanctioned event promoting hatred toward transgender people and communities, featuring notorious transphobes Brad Polumbo and Michael Knowles on the question ‘Should transgenderism be regulated by law?’ The government alleges that in the protests outside the event, a ‘civil disorder’ occurred, when one commercially available firework and two homemade ‘smoke bombs’ were discharged. This ‘civil disorder’ forms the context in which Krystal and Peppy are charged.”

Peppy has been locked up pretrial for over a year now, while Krystal is out on pretrial conditions. Legal costs for both of them are enormous. Hence this fundraiser, both as material and emotional support. (Peppy and Krystal also both greatly appreciate letters! See their IG page or website.)

This edited anthology is filled with real-life stories of actually existing, relatively long-lived direct democracies across varied geographies—with no two alike. The contributions to this book show us that not only is self-governance possible; it is already happening. And within these beautiful yet messy experiments, people experience a “sense of freedom in the air”—of their own making, doing, and sustaining—as whole communities dispense with carceral logics, statist machinations, and virulent forms of “othering,” among other things, to make lives worth living for themselves.

Donate $15 to $25 (or more) to help Peppy and Krystal fight these charges, and I’ll gift you a copy of #DecidingForOurselves (with publisher @akpressdistro kindly paying for shipping within the US). Offer good while supplies last!

Email me at cbmilstein (at) yahoo to contribute! <3

#UntilAllAreFree
#BecomeSelfGovernable

freepeppyandkrystal.blackblogs.org