2- Introduction to Slingshot issue 129

Slingshot is an independent radical newspaper published in Berkeley since 1988.

Slingshot layout weekend coincided with a concert to celebrate People’s Park 50th anniversary — we wish we could have made it.

Recently, Oakland teachers went on strike for 7 days and won well-deserved pay raises. But because of the way funding is set up, the school board then voted to cut $21 million from libraries, youth case managers, and restorative justice as a way to pay for the raises. Maybe instead of a teachers strike we need a general strike to seize some of the wealth hoarded by the 1% and use it to educate kids in Oakland.

The Bay Area is becoming unlivable in bizarre ways. One Slingshot collective member lives on a boat because of skyrocketing rents. As we were writing this, their bicycle fell into the San Francisco Bay. After a friend with a wetsuit helped pull the bike out, they almost got run over by an Uber driver before finally making it to the Slingshot loft. Whew! Plus there are so many hippies staying in the living room that one has to make out in a Tesla.

Thanks for those who responded to our survey in the last issue — everyone who wrote in was excited about print media which warms our analog hearts.

Last year, the Long Haul felt rather dead, but now it seems lively, with lots of events happening and people coming in during open hours. It feels like people are getting out and getting involved! This issue saw lots of energy, with new friends and old participating.

At the same time, as we have a gathering of energy around Slingshot and other groups we are involved in, we also feel mired in interpersonal friction and conflict. Even within our affinity groups, not everyone shares similar opinions. It’s important to focus on why we are here. We have to be willing to step outside our comfort zones to work constructively with people we don’t personally get along well with while also being gentle with ourselves and admitting that it is hard.

The collective sometimes wonders if anyone actually reads Slingshot. Recently, someone traveled to California from NYC to get involved in a direct action they read about in Slingshot – they have since moved into our squat and are a dear comrade. Slingshot is a door that you can open leading to a bunch of awesome, life-changing, radical stuff – the places on the radical contact list are each benevolent black holes that — once you enter — can consume you in the best way! Join us wherever you are — plug into the wingnut-verse!

Last issue was themed around climate chaos and ways to respond to it, and the collective envisions every issue being similarly themed from here on out. We still welcome submissions about a variety of subjects.

Slingshot is always looking for new writers, artists, editors, photographers, translators, distributors, and critical thinkers to make this paper. If you send an article, please be open to editing.

We’re a collective, but not all the articles reflect the opinions of all collective members. We welcome debate and constructive criticism.

Thanks to the people who made this: CJ, Chaya, Dov, eggplant, Elke, Eric, Fred, Hannah, Ingrid, Isabel, Jesse, Karen, Korvin, Mark, Rachelle, Stuart, Talia and all the authors and artists!

Slingshot New Volunteer Meeting

Volunteers interested in getting involved with Slingshot can come to the new volunteer meeting on Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 7 pm at the Long Haul in Berkeley (see below.)

Article Deadline & Next Issue Date

Submit your articles for issue 130 by September 14, 2019 at 3 pm.

Volume 1, Number 129, Circulation 22,000

Printed April 20, 2019

Slingshot Newspaper

A publication of Long Haul

Office: 3124 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley CA 94705

Mailing: PO Box 3051, Berkeley, CA 94703

510-540-0751 slingshotcollective@protonmail.com

slingshotcollective.org • twitter @slingshotnews

Slingshot free stuff

We’ll send you a random assortment of back issues for the cost of postage. Send $4 for 2 lbs. Free if you’re an infoshop or library. slingshotcollective.org

Circulation information
Subscriptions to Slingshot are free to prisoners, low income, or anyone in the USA with a Slingshot Organizer, or $1 per issue. International $3 per issue. Outside the Bay Area we’ll mail you a free stack of copies if you give them out for free. Say how many copies and how long you’ll be at your address. In the Bay Area pick up copies at Long Haul and Bound Together books, SF.