We at EFJBGC have been working over the past couple months on how we present ourselves publicly and towards our peers. Those of us operating have been attempting to ensure that our message and presence is communicated effectively and with intentionality.

Currently, the telegram channel we formerly operated is controlled entirely by a single individual whom the rest of us currently organizing are no longer associated with. The person behind the account has removed access from any of the former members of EFJBGC, and operates it solely from their own perspectives and intents. This person does not represent the ideals, opinions, or feelings of the more than a dozen current and former operating members, and is no longer
affiliated with EFJBGC in any capacity. What they say through this and other media they operate are solely their words, and often are directly contradictory to the intentions and desires of the more than a dozen current members, as well as many former members no longer choosing to work with us.

This person has been a sticking point for the organization for some time now, and has
perpetuated or directly caused harm to our members. Their attempts at singular control and their opinions have been the primary reason we had to take a hiatus from organizing as a group. Due to their lack of respect for the process of consensus and direct harassment of many of our current and former members, many members had to leave to emotionally recover from their behavior that was in direct disagreement with the vast majority of us. When we were more established and currently operating, a vote was held to move away from the methods and messages they were spreading on multiple of our active platforms. When the vote nearly unanimously passed against them, they heightened their abusive practices both on these platforms and internally to many of our members.

We would like to highlight here the specific lie that they have posted on the telegram as a currently relevant example of the harm they are causing through these socials. They have said on t elegram that “there is a group in DFW claiming to…” be EFJBGC, and that “this was formed without the knowledge of most of the former members and active organizers who made EFJBGC.” In truth, the vast majority of current and former members are part of this “new” group, and the account posting the statement is operated by at most three individuals who are no longer part of our working group. They continue to frame this from a hostile position, saying that we “should be regarded as a new group, with different goals, knowledge, and capabilities,” and to spread this lie “to avoid misinformation.” We would like to be clear that the more than a dozen of us currently active completely disavow this lie that they are continuing to perpetrate, and we have and will continue to speak about their abuse going forward.

If you have any concerns or doubts about the legitimacy of any of our continued public presence, please do not hesitate to reach out to efjbgc@protonmail.com or our Mastodon account @efjbgc@denton.social. We are aware already that they have made a BlueSky account representing EFJBGC, and that this is in no way tied to us or our values, and they did not consult any of the former and current members before establishing it. If this account posts under our title, it is not in accordance with us us as a group, and is similarly only their opinions and beliefs

EFJBGC has never been a group operated by a singular leader or a handful of dominant voices; we have always acted as a collective organization on consensus-based ethos. The actions and words of this individual are in direct violation of this consensus and the group’s intentions. We have no connection or involvement with the current telegram account, and do not intend to allow a single individual who has continuously perpetuated and enacted abuse to speak on behalf of us as a collective.

On this day, in 1856, John Brown, 4 of his sons, and 2 members of the Pattowatomie Rifles militia carried out the assassinations of 5 pro-slavery partisans.

This act was spurred by the Sack of Lawrence 3 days prior on May 21, in which hundreds of pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” invaded the Free State town of Lawrence to forcibly disarm the populace. They destroyed 2 newspaper offices and burned the Free State Hotel to the ground, while terrorizing and threatening hundreds of residents and waving flags emblazoned with “Southern Rights” and “Supremacy of the White Race.”

It was also caused by the attack on anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner, who was beaten almost to death with a cane by pro-slavery Congressman Preston Brooks on the floor of the Senate during Sumner’s speech: “Crime against Kansas.”

For years, pro-slavery mobs had attacked and destroyed newspapers and meeting places. They had beaten and murdered abolitionists. They had constantly threatened violence and war.

John Brown decided to strike back.

John Brown’s first Raid shocked and changed the whole country. 

Abolitionists had long clung to pacifism. Even after the most prominent abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, was kidnapped from an Abolitionist meeting and dragged through the street tied to a rope by a lynch mob threatening to kill him. (The police then “rescued” Garrison by arresting him and holding him in the city jail overnight).

Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.

By 1856, in Bleeding Kansas, Abolitionists had formed militias to defend themselves, but had never taken any offensive action. Even as families were terrorized and victimized, even after the Sack of Lawrence, abolitionists were still clinging to non-violence. 

This was likely due to fear as much as conviction. The Supreme Court had ruled decisively in favor of slavery. The President, Franklin Pierce, had threatened to charge anyone resisting slavery in Kansas with Treason. 

The result was an unopposed campaign to exterminate abolitionists and anti-slavery from public life. 

John Brown showed that resistance was possible. 

He struck fear into the hearts of the pro-slavery paramilitaries who had believed they had a monopoly on violence. 

In the aftermath of Pattowatomie, pro-slavery paramilitaries captured 2 of John Brown’s sons who were not on the Raid. John Brown and 30 fighters defeated the 55 pro-slavery Border Ruffians responsible in open battle and captured 23 of them. 

They were later exchanged for John Brown’s sons. 

In the years before Pattowatomie, the pro-slavery minority had aspired to complete control over the USA. Slavery had won the Supreme Court and multiple Presidencies. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a pro-slavery victory over the Missouri Compromise. 

After being stopped by militant and violent abolitionist forces from their hostile paramilitary takeover of Kansas, pro-slavery leaders and forces lost hope of controlling the USA. This defeat and demoralization directly led to the Slave States seceding in 1861.

Shelly passed away this week.

Shelly was a great organizer and a pillar of the community. She would facilitate distros and meetings, lending and setting up her tables and chairs. She would organize and mediate, and make sure people got what they needed and said what they needed to say.

It seemed like Shelly had held every job under the sun across the decades: welder, contractor, big rig mechanic, bike mechanic, bus driver… She was a master of finding cool stuff: from antique dressers to scrap metal art. She would fix bikes, sell scrap, and would fix things and find things for free. It seemed like Shelly could find anything. If you needed something, Shelly got you.

Shelly kept several big dogs who were always friendly, playful, and happy. She loved her dogs, and always did whatever it took to keep them fed and cared for.

Shelly was an organizer with Dallas Houseless Committee and Camp Rhonda, a militant, organized, political project and community of unhoused organizers and activists. She was there when Camp Rhonda got started and got organized. She was there when Camp Rhonda found a private location willing to provide space. Shelly was there when the city forced it to close with thousands in code compliance tickets. She was there when Camp Rhonda decided to set up next to city hall in protest, and resisted for almost 30 days.

Ultimately, the city destroyed Camp Rhonda with tickets, fines, sweeps, and police and FD harassment.

But long after Camp Rhonda, Shelly was still a rock for her community.

Shelly was always unloading trucks, distroing supplies, making sure people go what they needed. Shelly helped people move again, and again, and again. Always there with the duct tape and contractor bags to help people pack up, always ready to help someone push a cart or carry a couch. Shelly comforted her fellow refugees fleeing police violence and helped them establish new livable camps.

Shelly’s partner Turtle was her rock. The dynamic duo lit up each other’s world. And together they brightened all of ours. Turtle died 2 years ago under the constant attack and malicious neglect of the government.

Shelly was left devastated. But still Shelly always greeted us with a smile on her face and a laugh on her lips. And still she would jump into action with the energy of a true organizer.

Shelly carried on in her organizing and activism, and we carry on for her now. She was dedicated to her community and always honored the stories of those we lost, as we honor her story today.

Shelly died because of this government, this system, because of its neglect and aggression. Because it will chase you, threaten you, and harass you wherever you are until you die.

They know what they are doing when they take your shelter and destroy your possession, when they charge anyone trying to help thousands of dollars, when they constantly lie and mislead, when they stalk and harass. The harm is intentional. The policy is death. We are sick of seeing our friends die. We are sick of this hell-system. We are all closer to living unhoused than we will ever be to the ruling class. The ruling class who decides that our lives will be dangerous and short so that theirs can be comfortable and safe must be stopped. This is why we fight. This is why we will never stop.

With so many people talking about community defense, the harkening to organized armed formations can inspire safety in some where others feel justified fear. The history of this country is plagued by organized white militias acting as extensions of the state to enforce white supremacy and even leftist movements of the recent past have regressed to these reactionary ideologies that alienate those they allege to protect.

John Brown Gun Club isn’t so much an organization as it is a declaration of intent and commitment to abolitionist principles. In this formation we must bear in mind the way in which society marginalizes us, some more than others, and work collectively to combat those actions without descending to the barbarism of militias.

If we are not lead by the oppressed, then there is no difference between our actions and policing. If we commit ourselves to the protection of property over people, that what difference is there between us and security guards? Militias, by definition heirarchal formations, are antithetical to egalitarian inclusivity foster an “us versus them” mentality separate from the community. We must be united in our commitment to equity.

Do not wait for a named organization or contingent, community defense starts with you. Show up and listen to what your community needs. No one is coming to save us. We’re the ones weve been waiting for.

Yesterday, our friends held the second annual Trans Pride Fest in Denton. Hundreds of LGBTQ folks, including us, were able to gather and hold space together in joyous peace.

There is a shortage of peace in this world as the few who mean to exert their power over us work diligently to rob us of our joy. Living in North Texas where Black trans women are murdered at a disproportionately high rate, and with continued attacks on the autonomy to live free as we are, there has never been a more important time to stand up and fight back. It is imperitive that we stand united to defend these loving spaces together, as one.

We were invited as a group by the supporting organizations of the event to provide medical support, defend the area from bad intentions, and conduct ourselves in a manner that ensured all those attending would be able to gather without worry. In doing so, we assisted folks with a small number of minor injuries, secured the area, and received an outpouring of supportive thanks and love from those attending.

At the conclusion of the evening, we were forced to make the decision to pull out of the event. Inviting a “gun club” to a bar presents numerous obstacles. We overcame those obstacles in a way that could not be challenged legally, or ethically, drawing strict lines of where “51%” notices were binding and conducting ourselves in a way that would not invite state violence onto a group of marginalized people. Throughout the evening and after the rantings of one concerned citizen, the support and consent of the venue slowly diminished until the blatancy of being unwelcome was impossible to ignore. Even on departure the concerned citizen (a cis-gendered woman) filmed, threatened, and harassed us. That’s another story for another day.

Stats from distribution:

• 20 Narcan distributed/instructions taught
• One mosh-related injury treated
• One minor head injury treated
• One possible spiked drink

All person’s involved are safe and okay.

At the end of the day, the only important thing is that Trans Pride Fest concluded in a joyous roar. The sting of a person making us, a group of predominantly queer & trans folks feel unwelcome, evaporates when we remember the joy and happiness that filled those walls into the night. All of our love goes out to the wonderful community organizers who worked their asses off for months to put this whole thing together. Y’all the real ones ❤️

In solidarity,

Elm Fork John Brown Gun club

Submitted by: anonymous 

We are tired and broken. The state has oppressed us beyond our limits. We were told this was the Land of the Free, yet everywhere we turn we are being told what to do with our bodies and minds in order to uphold the patriarchal monopoly on violence. But we must not give into the propaganda that was meant to deceive and control us. Many people are waiting around for an insurrection to start. But you see, the insurrection will not wait for us. We must call on the revolution and set its course at our own discretion. We are the insurrectionist generation.

The white supremacists that currently own and operate this stolen land have begun their own revolutionary movement and they have proven they will not give up until they are forced to. The oppressors in our government have the audacity to make up meaningless laws to control our autonomy as if they don’t work for us. You see, we put food on their tables, we put a roof over their heads, we give them a bed to sleep in at night. Yet, they have neglected to remember this. And it’s about time the colonizers are reminded who they work for. It’s us and it has always been us. We are the insurrectionist generation.

Without us, this state is nothing. We outnumber them. We are the only ones giving them power. We can take just as quickly as we can give. And we will take just as quickly as we gave. We are the insurrectionist generation.

There will never be a right time to take our liberation back. The only time is now. We have nothing to lose but our chains. We are the insurrectionist generation.