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   Elm Fork JBGC (efjbgc@denton.social)'s status on Wednesday, 08-Nov-2023 12:47:25 JST Elm Fork JBGC

   While we (obviously) support and participate in leftist militancy, and getting armed has a place in that, there are also a lot of ways that the leftist "gun culture" we were formed from, and which has gained popularity over the last couple years, has just replicated the dangers present in right-wing gun culture

   Unfortunately, as they are now, "community defense" spaces are incredibly attractive to abusive people and anyone who seeks to hold power over others, for a lot of the same reasons people are attracted to becoming cops. Guns, in themselves, create a power dynamic which can be leveraged by those with ill intent. Orgs and individuals setting themselves up as protectors also creates a power dynamic that can be abused. We've seen many, many instances of people who set themselves up in prominent positions in leftist gun spaces as a way of gaining influence to then manipulate and abuse others, whether it's as a self-proclaimed expert and teacher, as a gun store owner, or just as a central organizer who everything seems to depend on

   Dave Strano of Redneck Revolt is a prime example of this, and we encourage those interested to search the internet or reach out privately for more information on his abuse so we can learn from it and do a better job of preventing similar issues

   Getting armed only helps against a very specific subset of violence, whereas abuse is commonplace in our communities. If we truly care about community defense, THE single most important work we can be doing is to make our spaces utterly unattractive to abusive people, and make sure that both the abusers and the people they target know we won't tolerate their behavior under any circumstances. THAT is what will make people safer in their daily lives. Unfortunately, most existing leftist gun communities (including us in many instances) have utterly failed to even try to address this, and have failed to avoid idolizing the exact people who are only here to exploit that influence

   Addressing abuse is not infighting. It is not drama. It is not gatekeeping or policing or any of the other leftist culture terms that will be twisted to try making the case that it shouldn't be done. It is a necessity for any community that truly gives a shit about keeping each other safe. You cannot fight authoritarianism on a large scale if you can't even challenge abusive power dynamics on a small scale

   https://saltyworld.net/domestic-abusers-shouldnt-own-guns-they-certainly-shouldnt-own-gun-stores/

   • Abolisyonista repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Elm Fork JBGC (efjbgc@denton.social)'s status on Saturday, 11-Nov-2023 11:37:18 JST Elm Fork JBGC

     in reply to

     Just saw another thread with some info on yet another example of misogynists and abusers being tolerated in leftist spaces because people thought "accountability" and "restorative justice" were appropriate ways to handle seven separate people coming forward with how he had hurt them. As leftists, we're aware of and try to avoid "infighting," but while things like accountability work great for missteps, ignorance, and other smaller conflicts where everyone is acting in good faith, the first step to dealing with someone who repeatedly hurts others is to remove them immediately from your spaces and from every tool they can use to hurt others, which includes their position and influence in organizing spaces

     Even if they do genuinely change one day, those who were targeted are never obligated to forgive them or feel safe with them again, and we need to prioritize support for them and their safety

     CW for rape mention in the link:
     https://nitter.com/theashleyray/status/1722988544828792914

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     Elm Fork JBGC (efjbgc@denton.social)'s status on Saturday, 11-Nov-2023 11:37:19 JST Elm Fork JBGC

     in reply to

     Feels about the right time to repost this article again too.

     Why Misogynists Make Great Informants: How Gender Violence on the Left Enables State Violence in Radical Movements

     "By not allowing misogyny to take root in our communities and movements, we not only protect ourselves from the efforts of the state to destroy our work but also create stronger movements that cannot be destroyed from within."

     https://archive.org/details/WhyMisogynistsMakeGreatInformants

     AnthonyJK-Admin repeated this.