Slingshot issue #92 introduction

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

Often when working on the paper we are faced with the dilemma of deciding what is news and will be relevant for the three months an issue is on the streets after we print it. For example, we published a long article about Oaxaca even though the situation there could change dramatically the day after the paper comes off the press, because the events there are inspiring and underreported in mainstream news. We hope the Oaxaca phenomenon will spread throughout Mexico and inspire people in the US, including the immigrants’ rights movement.

On the other side of the coin are important but complex, detailed articles like the update of the Green Scare arrests. The gauntlet of information can leave those “not in the know” feeling a little lost. Because it is a frequent feature in our paper (like the Iraq debacle or People’s Park) readers may conclude there is nothing new to say. But that is the nature of prolonged struggles as opposed to sensational news. The recent Green Scare coverage in Rolling Stone was good at describing characters, but then framed them as idiots. By contrast, if you look at the beautifully written obituaries in this issue, we hope you’ll feel the real and funky people who inhabit our world of resistance.

We apologize for not having a Spanish page in this issue. Disculpenos por la absencia de la pagina en español. En el futuro, necesitaremos articulos en español.

As usual, we had a hell of a time getting people to send us articles and art. Ironically, our most responsive contributor-base is our prisoner readership. We would love to have first person narratives and radical social/political analyses. We are still working on better ways to accept unsolicited contributions. All too often, people send us unformed outlines posing as articles or just rants.

We also need more black and white art for covers and article graphics. We’ll do more original posters if you send them, and we thought that “First the dishes, Then the revolution” would be a great slogan for the next one we feature.

Slingshot is always looking for new writers, artists, editors, photographers, translators, distributors and independent thinkers to help us make this paper. If you send something written, please be open to working with the editorial collective.

Editorial decisions are made by the Slingshot collective, but not all the articles reflect the opinions of all collective members. We welcome debate, constructive criticism and discussion.

Thanks to all who worked on this: Artnoose, B (for lunch only), Eggplant, Jessica, Hefty Lefty, Kathryn, Maneli, Melinda, Molly, PB.

Slingshot New Volunteer Meeting

Volunteers interested in getting involved with Slingshot can come to the new volunteer meeting on Sunday, November 26 at 4 p.m. at the Long Haul in Berkeley (see below).

Article Deadline and Next Issue Date

Submit your articles for issue 93 by January 6, 2007 at 3 p.m.

Volume 1, Number 92, Circulation 15,000

Printed September 28, 2006

Slingshot Newspaper