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o b l i v i o n
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I s s u e 8
S u m m e r 1 9 9 9
* angry youth extraordinaire *
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Contents
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Oblivion Speaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jestapher
The news in brief . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sillyrabbit
The dangers of the school uniform movement . .
Gary Peter Klahr
School, distribution and the word "fuck" . . . . .
Jestapher
Female genital mutilation . . . . . . . . .
Maria Gonzalez
Behavior modification schools . . . . . . . .
Alexia Parks
Q & A with The Suicide Machines . . . . . . . . . . .
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The age discrimination of the legal system . . .
John Willemin
Zine reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Xaxu
Oblivion attempts to fight the system from within . . .
namgorf
Youth suffrage and YouthSpeak . . . . . . . . .
Avi Hein
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Jestapher edited this. Although it goes unseen in the text-only
version, Maria Gonzalez drew the marvelous cover art. J. Leavitt drew the
comic "Nonchalant," which is also unseen herein. Jestapher drew the comic
"The simplicity of curfew laws," which, again, is unseen. Nemomancer handled
submissions. Jestapher layed it all out. Eggnog helped with some scanning.
Proofreaders included namgorf, Maria Gonzalez, Sillyrabbit and Tyler. Emily
is our new web geek.
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Oblivion Speaks
Jestapher
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"You've gone corporate!" they shouted. So we beat them up.
Oblivion is a corporation now -- nonprofit to be exact. In the near
future, we should be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit. Then we'll get those
phat nonprofit bulk mail rates!
Oblivion is governed by a Board of Directors. The 1999 Board consists
of Ben Livingston (me), President and Treasurer; Maria Gonzalez,
Vice-President; Tyler Creviston, Secretary; Sven Berger; Jason Kende;
Kristen Mason; Lawrence Rozanski, III; and Didrik Wold. Besides being full
of angst, these eight people decide everything Oblivion. For more
information on Board matters, visit oblivion.net/board/.
Here's a brief overview of the tax exemption process:
Me: We want nonprofit bulk mail rates.
Post Office: Fill out this big long form.
Form I: You need to be a 501(c)(3) first. Talk to the IRS.
IRS: Fill out this horrendously long Form. In addition, you should read
this even horrendously longer Publication first.
Form II: You need an Employer Identification Number first. Fill out
this comparatively tiny Form.
Fill out Form III. Send it in. Wait. Receive Employer Identification
Number.
Form II: Now that you've spent six hours with me, you're finally ready
to fill out this other Form.
Form IV: Are you a rich nonprofit or a poor nonprofit?
Me: Poor.
Form IV: Okay. Your filing fee shall be $150.
Me: Fuck.
Form I and II: Heh heh heh. I love this game.
As you can see, it's an excruciatingly fun process.
This issue of Oblivion is bigger than any Oblivion to date. We've
switched to legal-size paper. Last issue had 1,309 square inches of printing
space. This issue has 1,666. We've added 357 square inches and we've got the
mark of the beast! Can you believe it?
Much has been happening in our little world. From server moves to
button making to personal stuff like getting hit by cars or getting new
significant others. That's why this issue is late. I just thought I'd throw
in the obligatory "why this issue is late" statement. Wouldn't want to be
different from any other zines.
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The news in brief
Sillyrabbit
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July 2, 1999
London, England
The British government has banned the sale of cigarette lighter refills
to anyone under the age of 18 in an attempt to reduce the number of deaths
among teenagers who try to get high by inhaling butane.
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June 30, 1999
Washington, D.C.
On a 270-159 vote, the House approved legislation to prohibit taking a
minor to another state for an abortion in order to circumvent parental
consent or notification laws. A presidential veto, however, is expected.
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June 28, 1999
Washington, D.C.
As part of the Juvenile Justice Bill that passed this week, 25,000
public schools and libraries that are funded by federal subsidies will be
required to install Internet filtering software to block "inappropriate"
websites.
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June 22, 1999
Aledo, Texas
Columbia University's popular "Go Ask Alice!" has been removed from the
library shelves at Aledo Middle School. Parental consent is required to
check the book out from Aledo High School. The local school board voted 3-1
to restrict the book -- which answers common questions young people have
about sexual health, drugs, and other topics -- after a parent complained
about its content.
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June 18, 1999
Washington, D.C.
A federal appeals court upheld Washington D.C.'s youth curfew law,
which had been declared unconstitutional by two lower courts. Youth are
"less able to make mature decisions in the face of peer pressure and are
more in need of parental supervision during curfew hours," wrote Judge
Lawrence H. Silberman.
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June 17, 1999
Washington, D.C.
The House of Representatives moved to vote on a Juvenile Justice bill
that included a plethora of amendments meant to curb youth violence. One of
many of the amendments would prohibit the sale of violent material to any
person under the age of 18.
This would include prohibiting the sale of video games, videos, and
music labeled as "violent" or that would appeal "to the prurient, shameful
or morbid interest," including all merchandise with parental advisory
warnings and all R-rated movies.
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June 11, 1999
Arenac County, Michigan
A 25-year-old was convicted of swearing in front of children by an
Arenac County Court. He was originally charged with swearing in front of
women and children, but District Judge Allen Yenior ruled the "women" part
of the statute to be unconstitutional.
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June 9, 1999
Your local movie theater
Pushed by President Clinton -- and trying to prevent legislation that
would mandate the same thing -- representatives of movie theater owners
across the country announced that they would begin requiring teenagers to
present photo identification when they showed up to see an R-rated film
without an adult.
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May 28, 1999
Silver Spring, Maryland
Northern High School student Nick Becker walked out of his graduation
in protest of school prayer. With the help of the ACLU, Nick and the school
came to an agreement to observe 30 seconds of silence instead of the formal
prayer they were accustomed to. Apparently, the school didn't fully uphold
it's end of the bargain.
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May 28, 1999
Ashland, Oregon
District Attorney Mark Huddleston denied a parent's request to examine
Ashland High School expulsion records, even if the student names are blacked
out. Paul Copeland said he wanted to see the records so he could judge
whether the district is handling expulsions fairly since it enacted a
zero-tolerance policy on drugs.
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May 28, 1999
Lansing, Michigan
The Michigan Senate approved a bill that will require parental advisory
labels on tickets and advertisements for all concerts by performers whose
albums have parental advisory warnings.
This bill is similar to many others being considered in state
legislatures throughout the country that would place ratings or warnings on
tickets.
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May 20, 1999
Conyers, Georgia
Six students were injured when a classmate with a handgun and a
sawed-off rifle opened fire at school. It was the one month anniversary of
the Littleton, Colorado massacre.
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May 14, 1999
Boston, Massachusetts
"Whoever sells exotic hair coloring, so-called, to any person under the
age of eighteen shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred
dollars for the first offense, not less than two hundred dollars for a
second offense and not less than three hundred dollars for any third or
subsequent offense."
Those are the exact words of a bill before the Massachusetts State
Legislature. No kidding.
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May 10, 1999
Brimfield, Ohio
With aid from the ACLU, eleven students who were expelled from school
after a teacher found their comments on a gothic website which school
officials didn't like were readmitted.
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April 28, 1999
Washington, D.C.
Instant drug detectors, hair-sample testing kits, and electronic
scanners identifying students by handprint could be put in more of the
nation's schools under a $10 million Senate proposal.
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March 23, 1999
Washington, D.C.
The Supreme Court limited the drug testing of students by refusing to
allow a school district to test all students who violate its disciplinary
rules.
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March 21, 1999
Portland, Oregon
Youth rights activist Tifnee Smith and over 50 protesters marched
through downtown Portland to protest the City's teen curfew law. At
midnight, the teens violated said curfew -- again, in protest. Police stood
at a distance and let the First Amendment take precedence over the Portland
ordinance.
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March 8, 1999
Detroit, Michigan
A 17-year-old high school senior sued her school in suburban Detroit
over a policy barring Wiccans from meeting on campus and banning the wearing
of pentagrams. The policy at Lincoln Park High School was intended to
suppress gangs and cults.
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March 3, 1999
Richmond, Virginia
The Richmond City Council voted to forbid "pornographic" concerts at
which minors might be present. The legislation would prevent minors from
attending "pornographic" concerts if the City knows about such concerts in
advance. It would also penalize performers if something happened
spontaneously.
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The dangers of the school uniform movement
Gary Peter Klahr
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Almost by stealth, the movement to put school kids in uniform is
sweeping the country as we roll though 1999, the 4th year since President
Clinton proposed uniforms in his 1996 State of the Union address. The most
ominous recent developments are the trend to include *high schools* in
uniform programs and to make them mandatory, even over objection of parents.
Uniforms have achieved their greatest penetration in inner-city areas
of large metro counties and in minority areas, especially among immigrant
Hispanics who are accustomed to uniforms in Latin countries. A recent issue
of Harper's Index says that 3/4 of Chicago kids have to wear a school
uniform! *But* uniforms are also being considered in suburban and
middle-class areas across the country -- in Kansas, Florida, South Carolina,
Oregon, Massachusetts and almost everywhere else.
The closest analogy to the current movement is the imposition of bans
on long-haired boys by many schools in the '60s and '70s. That lead to
widespread protests and litigation that resulted in something like 35
reported federal and state court cases and an expenditure by the schools of
over $10 million in legal costs to expel long-haired boys -- many with
straight A averages! The courts split down the middle on the issue and the
Supreme Court never took a long-hair case. Except in Texas, the issue soon
mooted as schools accepted long-hairs voluntarily even where their state
allowed their expulsion, and as kids started wearing more conservative hair
styles on their own.
Many of the arguments for forcing short hair are similar to the
arguments for uniforms today -- claims that short hair/uniforms improve
discipline, hygiene, learning environment, academic progress, and curb
drugs. Three new arguments are being used now for uniforms however -- that
they socialize clothing so as to prevent envy of rich kids by the poor; that
uniforms prevent intruders on campus; and that uniforms are necessary to
stop gangs. All are fallacious when examined as this article will do.
The most disturbing thing so far is the lack of protest and litigation
by affected kids and dissenting parents. "If you push hard enough, it will
fall over" is one activist slogan that is being widely ignored. Mandatory
high school uniforms without parent or child opt-out have been implemented
in Mobile, Alabama, Wichita, Kansas, and other places. Neither open protests
nor litigation has yet resulted. Although national polls done by two
different groups -- and reported by America Online -- show 80 percent of
teens oppose uniforms, those affected don't think it is worth the fight.
Students in Mobile and Wichita sounded identical themes in news stories --
"We don't like it but we can't do anything about it and it is not worth
getting suspended over." Some pointed out that cutting hair affects you 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, while uniforms are only for 30 hours a week.
Why should you be upset over uniforms and put it No. 1 on your action
list if it is being threatened in your community? The simple answer is that
uniforms are designed to instill conformity and communitarian group-think --
akin to Fascism. This is openly admitted by many proponents. They falsely
feel kids already have too *much* freedom of expression and they want a
placid, conformist student body -- allegedly to stop gangs and guns.
Uniforms are an attack on two privileges permitted by most present dress
codes -- *informality* and *diversity*.
Although kids often complain about dress codes, most current codes are
only a 3 on a scale of 1-10 as to clothes regulation. Most uniforms score a
perfect 10! Uniforms curb informality by usually banning T-shirts, jeans and
sometimes shorts for both sexes. The minimum acceptable is usually a
collared polo shirt.
Even more seriously, uniforms ban diversity. Although *some* permit a
choice of colors or styles, *most* require you to wear exactly the same
clothes all 180 days of school (with exception for occasional dress-down
days). So you not only wear the same clothes as everyone else, you can't
vary your wardrobe daily as most of us do. The usual rule is a white polo or
button-up collared shirt and non-jean blue dress pants -- all bought from
the same store.
From a constitutional viewpoint, the biggest objection is that uniforms
almost always ban all logos, pictures and writing of all kinds. Indeed, our
best shot legally is those schools that *do* permit *some* logos (usually
the school symbol) and ban others. Even those pro-uniform attorneys who
believe schools can ban *all* logos (in defiance of Tinker vs. Des Moines
and many other pre-uniform court cases) admit that schools *cannot* legally
permit some logos and ban others.
The logo bans do not just cover questionable slogans or pictures.
Sports logo attire, concert shirts, political shirts and even *right-wing*
slogans (DARE, SADD, pro-life) are banned. Clearly banned would be a shirt
saying "Legalize Freedom -- Join ISAA"! The whole idea is that everyone must
look alike every day. To me this is *absurd* on its face, but both liberal
and conservative adults -- and even many kids -- have been enticed to
support uniforms.
In order to fight uniforms, you must understand the arguments for them
-- and our rebuttal. Let us conclude by listing some of the arguments for
uniforms and my answer:
1. They improve academic performance
No study shows this, although there are anecdotal reports of the same.
At Phoenix Prep, the Jr. High that permanently expelled two students for
wearing logo clothes instead of uniforms, after 2-1/2 years of uniforms,
academic scores are still in the 30th percentile. In any event, if academics
is the test, honor roll students should be exempt. Most kids who opt out are
among the "best and brightest." In one district near Sacramento, California,
the GPA of opt-outs was an amazing 3.6 on a 4.0 scale!
2. They improve discipline
This is *probably* true to some extent -- but at what cost in
suppression of individual expression? The main point to make however is that
there are *many* assertive discipline programs and other ways to solve
discipline problems without requiring uniforms.
3. They are cheaper
This may or may not be true -- it depends on the cost of uniforms and
what the family would otherwise spend on school clothes. It does require
*two* sets of outfits, however, because almost no one would wear the uniform
after school and on weekends. Many families do *not* spend big bucks buying
name-brand clothes for their kids; this argument assumes that most do.
4. They fight gangs and prevent intruders on campus
This is one of the most popular arguments with the public, but clearly
misleading. Very few campus disruptions are due to "gang clothing/colors" --
whatever that is. But to the extent that certain clothing does perpetuate
gang activity, it can be handled by *dress code*; a uniform is not required.
Even in uniform, gang members can communicate by tattoos, slang and hand
signals. (They may soon suggest cutting off hands!) As to intruders, it may
actually be harder to spot them because any intelligent intruder would
certainly garb himself in the simple uniform so as not to stick out like
they might now.
5. Dressing for school in the morning is easier
This is probably true, and so anyone who *wants* to wear the same
clothes daily can do so. But it is hardly an argument to *force* everyone to
dress alike. Most kids prefer to dress for the day's mood and activity on a
variable basis -- as they will as adults.
6. They prevent poor kids from being harassed for not having fancy clothes
This is actually an argument for "socialized clothing." It is very
attractive to liberals -- but dead wrong. First, *many* kids wear simple
striped T-shirts and jeans, not Nike and Guess. Second, any kid who harasses
another because of clothing can and should be punished for intimidation -- a
more serious offense than dress code violations. But the *best* defense is
that it *doesn't work*. Because bikes, backpacks, jewelry and other
accessories are not covered, in a uniform school it is *still* obvious who
is rich and who isn't.
In summary, as the title of this paper indicates, *you* will be in
uniform soon if kids in this country don't wake up and fight the coming of
uniforms, especially on a mandatory basis. There are few if any valid
arguments for uniforms. Diverse, colorful clothing is a tradition on
American campuses; nothing in the '90s makes that tradition obsolete. As
John F. Kennedy said: "We must make the world safe for diversity."
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Gary Peter Klahr is a Phoenix attorney and former High School Governing
Board Member.
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School, distribution and the word "fuck"
Jestapher
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When the first issue of Oblivion was released back in '95, we took a
lot of heat from the administration at Olympia High School, the school most
of our "staff" attended at the time.
They took issue with much of our content, including a letter stating
that our "security guy" should be fired and an article charging the school
with giving preferential treatment to football when it came to funding
extracurricular activities.
They tried to suspend us for "distributing an unauthorized
publication." Apparently, non-school sponsored publications, often referred
to as "underground newspapers," had to be approved by the administration in
order to be distributed on campus. At the time, they had us believing we
could actually be suspended for such a crime. Only later did we learn that
they're full of shit.
Non-school sponsored publications don't have to go through any approval
process. This is upheld by Burch v. Baker, a 1988 case in which 5 Renton,
Washington students were suspended for not submitting their "underground
newspaper" for approval before distributing it. The court ruled that such an
approval process violated both the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the
Constitution of the United States.
While you can't be punished for distributing your zine on campus, you
are responsible for its contents. If you say, "Mr. so and so molests
children" and it's not true, you can get in trouble -- libel in this case.
They can also get you for "obscene" or "sexually suggestive" material.
We've discussed briefly the idea of whiting out all the profanity in
Oblivion to make it "campus distributable." We've come to this conclusion:
fuck that! Our profanity fits, we don't just indiscriminately fling the shit
around, metaphorically speaking. Besides, schools make us read the
occasional profanity in English class. Most people freak out when some
fascist bastards try to ban some book from a school, why is it okay to do it
with a student-produced zine?
Another thing about profanity and speech in general: it looks a lot
worse if they try to censor political statements. An administration would
catch more flack for censoring the phrase "curfews are fucking
unconstitutional" than they would for censoring the phrase "you can't say
pig fucker in front of Jesus."
With all that said, we'd like to encourage you to not only publish, but
to distribute as well. Do you see all sorts of fucked up stuff going on at
your school and elsewhere? Write it down. Make a flyer. Make a zine. Make a
book if you like. Then hand it out to the masses. If, or more correctly,
when the administration tries to persecute you, know your rights. It may not
be a good idea to sit in the principal's office and say "fuck off, you
fascist whore," but you can rest assured that you've got the Constitution
behind you and you're fighting the good fight.
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Female genital muilation
Maria Gonzalez
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Imagine how it feels to be sexually pleasured -- your extremely
sensitive genitals being stimulated to the extreme, throbbing and then
relaxing: an orgasm. And it not only satisfies you physically, but
emotionally and mentally.
Now, imagine how you would feel if, when you were about ten years old,
your parents forced you to undergo an operation that would cause you to
never feel any sexual pleasure or gratification for the rest of your life.
This was done in an effort to keep you a virgin until marriage to preserve
the family honor and for religious reasons. You would never be able to feel
an orgasm, you would simply be used to make babies.
Sadly, this is not some sadistic working of the imagination. For many
young girls in Moslem families and in parts of Africa, this is the grim
reality. Their sexuality is robbed from them, a part of them is taken away
forever, an important part for their emotional well-being. This practice is
called female circumcision, but is more widely known as female genital
mutilation.
Female genital mutilation can include:
Circumcision:
Clipping off the hood of the clitoris, which is considered to be the
mildest form, but is still awful since the clitoris is a major pleasure
point.
Excision:
Cutting off the entire clitoris and all or part of the labia minora.
Infibulation:
The most severe form which is excision plus cutting much of the labia
majora and then stitching together the sides, leaving a small hole the size
of a pencil eraser for the discharge of menstrual blood and urine.
Fifteen percent of girls that undergo these operations die as a result.
Those who survive experience not only extreme complications during sexual
intercourse, pregnancy and childbirth, but also hemorrhaging, chronic pain
and infections of the urinary tract, bladder and kidneys.
This is an outrage! Every human being has a fundamental right to the
fate of their own body. If the young girls subjected to this treatment
wanted to never feel sexual pleasure, it would be different. However, they
are usually ignorant to what is about to happen to them or dragged kicking
and screaming to the mutilator. There is no reason that this has to happen.
Even leaders of the Moslem religion say that there is nothing in the Koran
about this practice being necessary.
Fortunately, this practice is illegal in the United States, but this is
not where the heart of the problem lies. These operations usually occur in
Moslem middle-eastern nations and in Africa. There are numerous
organizations that actively fight to eradicate this practice, such as The
Foundation for Women's Health and the Si-Kata Project. The majority,
however, is still uninformed of this blatant disregard for human rights.
Hopefully, more people will become enlightened and take a stand against this
despicable practice.
If you are interested in helping stop female genital mutilation or if
you're interested in more information, contact one of these organizations:
The Foundation for Women's Health
2040 Forest Ave., Suite 2
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 298-3798
The Si-Kata Project
P.O. Box 204
Venice, CA 90294
(310) 314-4833
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Behavior modification schools
Alexia Parks
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If you're a creative nonconforming teen ... If you're a teen who has
ever been called impossible, defiant, rebellious, uncontrollable or
out-of-control by *your parents* or school administration ... If you're a
teen who is considered a high risk for drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy or
AIDS, or if you suffer from "gender-identification-disorder" (meaning gay or
lesbian), your parents may be the target of a sophisticated sales campaign
from one of a network of behavior modification schools that offer a "fix-it"
solution for "problem children."
The brochures and videos for behavior modification schools are given to
your parents by educational consultants, counselors, churches, ToughLove,
Teen Help's Lifespring seminar leaders or parents of teens who may get money
or tuition waivers for referrals. While they may say the program works
wonders on "troubled teens," the reality is it is all about money. People
make vast amounts of money in the teen "fix-it" industry.
These modification schools are run by adults who perform ritual abuse
on children. They believe they have a calling to change the behavior of
"troubled teens." They can take a high-risk teen and send back a no-risk
teen, satisfaction guaranteed. Behind closed doors, they can become the
parent you and I never had. They can impose their authority with an iron
will and back it up with support staff. Their behavior changing methods
include the use of: padded, locked "get right" rooms; straight jackets; wrap
mats; body bags; electric shock; behavior modification drugs; brainwashing;
hypnosis; sensory deprivation; panic locks; flashing lights and alarms;
enforced silence; and teen "buddy" guards.
The odd thing is, they can administer pain in a "loving" way. "You will
thank me some day," they say. "This is *good* for you," they say. The smile
never fades.
These aren't thought-control camps in China. They're in America, with a
uniquely American twist: they're money-makers. Parent-funded lock-up schools
have been called the second fastest growth industry next to the building of
prisons. What makes them different from taxpayer supported prisons is that
parents call them "boarding schools" and for the most part, they are filled
with rich white kids. Lock-up boarding schools are becoming trendy for
desperate parents who can afford to pay for the private incarceration of
their child.
For the most part, parents place their child in a blind way. They don't
know what these schools are. They rely on referral from so-called "friends"
or "experts." The schools are part of a secret world, a Dark Ages
underworld, that I stumbled into quite by accident when I went searching for
a "disappeared child" whom I love: my niece.
If your parents are religious extremists, authoritarian, or join
support groups that bond them together and alienate them from you, or if
they hang out with friends who are this way, then you're at a high risk of
being sent away to a behavior modification school. These schools are located
throughout the United States, in Baja, Mexico, and offshore in places like
Western Samoa, Jamaica, and even the Czech Republic.
The warning signs that you may be sent to a behavior modification
school: worried parents who suddenly act nonchalant, as if nothing is wrong.
The result: you may become the target of an escort service -- known by
abductees as "bounty hunters" -- and transferred to a school of your parents
choice. Or, to save the $10,000 transfer fee, your parents may take you
there themselves by telling you that your going to a summer camp or a
holiday abroad.
Warning: If you think you are at risk, do not sign papers for a
passport or any papers at all. Instead, write a statement that if you are
"disappeared," you have been taken against your will and will resist if
necessary.
In reality, you shouldn't resist. Unless they are totally stupid or
careless, you will be unable to escape. If you find yourself being abducted,
do not resist. They are stronger than you. There are more of them than you.
They can call in others to help them restrain you, if necessary. Resistance
is futile. Your resistance may be met with knockout drugs, handcuffs,
shackles, mace or pepper spray.
Duct-tape can be used to wrap you in a blanket like a mummy. Want to
scream for help? Go ahead. Your head and mouth may be duct-taped closed. Of
course, they'll leave an opening for you to breathe through your nose. Or
you may be sent into isolation for a day to two weeks. The closet-like
isolation room may be called "a prayer room," an observation room, an ice
room (chill out) or a Skinner Box. Your parents want you back alive, of
course, so the school will most likely use brainwashing and psychological
torture techniques perfected in prisoner of war camps as opposed to physical
torture.
Need to go to the bathroom? Too bad. You no longer get to choose when
to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom. Someone else is in charge of these
decisions and they make them for you. As I said, resistance is futile. The
smart kids learn this quickly and do whatever is asked. They hide their true
self and protect it. Those who don't will break in time. The staff at
behavior modification schools have all the time in the world. And they are
happy to tell your parents that you're not ready to talk to them yet, or
your not ready to write to them or see them. Some teens wait as long as a
year before they finally let go and give in. In some schools, the average
stay is 2-1/2 years, because the teens who have been broken believe they are
"insane," "damaged goods," "the worst of the worst" or they have come to
believe that the world is an evil place and they are safe at the school. In
the end, it's all the same. As long as you're parents can be convinced to
pay your monthly tuition or convince others and thereby gain free tuition
for you, you'll be held at the "boarding school" until the school guarantees
that you're "fixed."
If you're lucky enough to successfully run away from a behavior
modification school, you need to avoid anyone in the vicinity of the school.
This includes neighbors, shopkeepers, police, and child services agents. In
rural areas, behavior modification schools are often the largest industry in
town. They are money-makers and they buy food and services from local folks.
The police, who might think that having troubled teens locked up and off the
streets makes their job easier, may also be told to "look the other way," or
be paid for each runaway they return to the facility.
Why would parents consider the private incarceration of their children
in unregulated facilities? In some states with "three strikes and your out"
laws, parents may worry that small infractions could lead to time in jail.
They consider jail a worse alternative to behavior modification schools.
Parents may also be fearful that they will be held responsible for the
misdeeds of their teen. The zero tolerance that the Courts, law enforcement
and adult population have toward teens is frightening. They forget that they
too were once teens. They forget that most teens are simply "mirrors" of
their environment and that their actions may trigger trapped fears in their
parents.
Experts advise that divorce and the turmoil leading to divorce is a
major factor behind misbehavior in teens. Girls, as a rule of thumb, get
weepy and withdrawn. Boys get angry and aggressive. Their world, after all,
is falling apart. This process is not easy for adults and it certainly is
devastating on teens. Most adults ignore the fact that teens are almost
powerless to change things and make their family whole again. Teens, in
fact, have little to no power. They are considered the property of their
parents. Parents -- who got to be parents simply by having sex -- are given
almost absolute authority over their children. Parents, in fact, represent
the last slaveholders in America.
Since parents can not, or will not protect their teens, since the
courts and laws do not protect teens, teens need to protect themselves. A
Teen Bill of Rights is a possible step in the right direction. Legislation
criminalizing the act of "escort," corporal punishment, and other despicable
tactics used by these schools could provide "legal muscle" to teens and
those seeking to protect them from.
This Fall, TeenAid, the organization I founded to help monitor the
behavior modification industry and provide advice to teens, plans to take a
program called Teens As Leaders into schools across the country. We will
encourage parents to act as mentors to their own teens, and surround their
children with resources to help them follow their own unique life-path. The
last section of my book, An American Gulag, contains a description of this
mentoring process. TeenAid will also create a Teen Emancipation Kit to help
teens become emancipated, if necessary.
I predict that the final year of this century will be the most
difficult year of all for teens as zero tolerance laws get even tighter, as
extremist religious groups try and convert as many souls as possible, and as
some public schools pick up on the ideas now being used in behavior
modification schools. For this reason, I think that 1999 will create the
critical mass of concern necessary to create a Teen Bill of Rights. As we
enter the 21st Century, parents will begin to realize that wired teens will
indeed lead the way. It's time to begin to take that leadership role now.
- -- ---- -
Alexia Parks is author of An American Gulag: Boarding Schools from
Hell.
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Q & A with The Suicide Machines
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The Suicide Machines are a punk quartet with a dash of ska mixed in.
Hailing from Michigan, their tunage is oft-filled with politics, especially
dealing with issues of class, violence and just being young, dammit. Here's
some thoughts from lead singer Jason Navarro.
- -- ---- -
Q. What do you think about curfew laws? Are they unconstitutional? Are
they just plain stupid?
A. Depending on the situations. They could never enforce these laws in
Detroit. The kids will always go out whenever they want and, in Detroit at
least, the police don't care. This is a broad question ... are you talking
about show curfews? That could have to do with many things: decibel levels
at certain times, etc ... I'm 25, I haven't ever had to deal with that sort
of law. I think that law is usually ignored and it should be.
- -- ---- -
Q. What do you think about high school? Is it worth attending? Would
most people be better served by educating themselves?
A. This is a question my wife and I have been discussing. We are going
to have a child in January. I think in certain areas, the both of us could
educate them, but not enough. There are goods and bads with everything.
Everything! You have to figure out what's better for you or your children.
- -- ---- -
Q. What do you think about trying to change things by working within
the system? Can we get anything done by trying to get into some White House
summit on school violence? Is our time better spent trying to subvert the
system?
A. The term "use the system against the system" can be a great one. As
usual, there's always going to be good and bad points. But if you're not
active in some sort of way, how's anything going to change?
A perfect example: last election, 20% of the Michigan population voted.
Most of those votes were middle to upper class white males, people with
money. Nobody voted -- poor, kids, women and people of ethnic background --
and people wonder why nothing changes. Another part of the problem is
realizing what and where the problems is, and how to tackle it.
- -- ---- -
Q. Anything else you'd like our readers to hear?
A. When you think you have the answer, pick that answer apart. Don't
stop questioning it.
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Letters
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A better place to live
I just visited your site ... Scary. I'm from Scotland and I was amazed
at the things young people can do here that you cant in America!
It says in the education bit of what your setting out to stop that you
don't have the primary decision in what your educational destiny is. That's
scary considering here at age 12 you are given the choice of what subjects
you take and again at 13 on the condition you take math, English and PE.
It says in the courts bit that you can't have a separate attorney
without parental consent ... well you can here!
It says you can't drink till 21! It's 18 here!
Under health and sexuality here, we have all the same medical rights as
over-18s except we don't have to pay for it! And all ages can get free birth
control.
We don't have curfews!
We can get credit cards, open accounts and get student loans!
I think what your doing is great! Keep it up.
Robyn
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A worse place to live
Hi,
I got some incidents from my school. Smoking and the bad stuff about
it.
A 15-year-old teen, was found smoking at the back of the cabins, and he
was severely punished for smoking. His punishment is 5 canes on the backside
and a suspension.
Scyoon
[Editor's note: this is from Malaysia.]
- -- ---- -
Buy my porn
Dear Oblivion Jestapher,
Here is a pretty intresting [sic] press release we think pertains to
your ezine. For more information please contact Mike Kelum [number omitted]
or email: [email omitted]. You can also preview the site at [site omitted]
-- Actual outcall girls and guys are available for interviews or
appearances. President John Zito is also available for comment.
Mike Kelum
-- -
Fuck you, cracksmoker.
Jestapher
- -- ---- -
Puberty Strike loves us
Jestapher,
The new Oblivion was great. It's one of my top ten favorite zines.
Here is your tee-shirt. I hope you like it. I'm also sending you some flyers
for my new label ... I hope you don't mind passing them out in your mail or
something.
Seth
-- -
Seth, we love Puberty Strike *and* you. I wear my "tee-shirt" all the
time and those flyers are used for short letters.
Jestapher
- -- ---- -
Orders and earrings
Dear Oblivion,
I am writing for issue #7 of your zine (oblivion). I have included
$1.00 for it.
The review MRR gave your zine interested me. I have been having
problems at my school for a while. For instance, girls can wear hoop
earrings, but boys can not.
Adam
- -- ---- -
A Georgian newshawk
Oblivion ...
Hey! I subscribe to your obv-talk mailing list and I've read the
diversity of your articles. I didn't know if you wanted an article from
rural Georgia or not, so I'm sending it to you anyway. I don't have any
"inside information" because it's not my school, but I think I'll contact a
friend to see what all of this is about and see if I can help. I just think
the educational system (especially in small towns) is so ridiculous -- they
put all of their energy in the wrong places.
(And don't mind the "Carrollton parents 'go back to school'" article
... It really doesn't work out like they say it does and only one high
school actually takes part in it.)
Let me know when the next issue of Oblivion comes out!
Leslie
-- -
Thanks for the news about Alex McClendon, the 15-year-old who was told
not to return to his private school unless he stopped dressing as a female.
It's good to know that most of the community stepped up to support him. We'd
definitely like to hear more -- especially since "a decision was not reached
by press time."
For future reference, it's much easier to send news articles to
news@oblivion.net rather than physically mailing them to us. If possible,
find the article online and snag the text. If the newspaper doesn't have a
website or doesn't have the specific article, start down that path to carpal
tunnel syndrome and type it in! Thanks Leslie, you rock!
Jestapher
- -- ---- -
If I were a rich man
Dear Oblivion,
Hi from Utah! Please send a copy of oblivion #7 as soon as possible. I
wish I was born rich. All day long I would smoke the finest of buds in a
six-foot bong and play guitar and bongos. I would put out a fanzine called
"da snob."
Yep, if I was a rich man. Well, I can always have my thoughts at least.
Keep putting out your fanzine. The scene needs more of us high school kids
putting out stuff. I still need to finish my own fanzine. Bye for now.
David
-- -
If I was a rich man, I wouldn't smoke the finest buds, but I'd probably
print Oblivion completely on hemp paper. You're right, "the scene" does need
more kids putting out stuff (and I'm not talking about putting out your
joint).
Jestapher
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The age discrimination of the legal system
John Willemin
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Not 18? Can't smoke, can't vote, can't legally run away from home,
can't get an abortion without telling your parents, can't stay in certain
places past certain times -- among other things. These are all what are
called "status offenses" -- things that are legal for adults to do, but for
those of us not yet 18 or 21, things that are illegal.
Why is this? Because the adults in power who run government have
decided that until you reach the magical age of 18, you are not competent
enough to decide whether or not to do such things.
It is easy to see the ridiculousness of such a system. Drawing an
arbitrary line at age 18 is silly. Does anything truly magical happen to you
on your 18th birthday? No. Are you any smarter on your 18th birthday than
when you are 17-years- and 364-days-old? No. Are 18-year-old people always
more competent than people under the age of 18? Of course not. This
discrimination doesn't accomplish anything except to deny youth rights.
Perhaps a better alternative is competency tests. Rather than assuming
that everyone over 18 is competent, they should prove it. Anyone below 18
who is competent would pass such a test. This would apply to voting rights,
driving, etcetera. For the other status offenses such as smoking, drinking
and running away, why not ban such laws? The laws which apply to adults
should apply to youth as well. For instance, drunk driving should still be
illegal, just as it would be for an adult, but the government should not
deny you the choice to drink or smoke. Personally, I think both of these
things are bad for you and I, for one, do not participate in them. But
should you feel the desire, I can't think of a reason why the government
should take away your choice to do such things. If nothing else, let your
parents decide.
Besides status offenses, the entire juvenile justice system (JJS) is
based on the same assumptions of youth inferiority. The JJS was originally
founded because of fears that the criminal justice system (the one the
adults use) was too harsh. They decided that youth needed a separate system,
where judges could "rehabilitate" and "nurture." At least that was the idea.
According to Barry Feld, a professor of law at the University of Minnesota,
children neither receive sufficient legal protection nor any rehabilitation.
"[A] substantial gulf remains between theory and practice, between law
on the books and law in action. In theory, [youth in the juvenile justice
system are guaranteed the] right to formal hearings and the assistance of
counsel. In practice, however, many juveniles do not receive even the
limited procedural justice that Gault envisioned. Nearly three decades ago,
the Supreme Court observed that 'juvenile justice' is an oxymoron: 'the
child receives the worst of both worlds: he gets neither the protections
accorded to adults nor the solicitous care and regenerative treatment
postulated for children.' Although juvenile courts increasingly converge
with criminal courts, most states do not provide youths with either
procedural safeguards equivalent to those of adult criminal defendants, or
with special procedures that more adequately protect them from their own
immaturity."
Youth were denied certain due process rights, like the ability to get
counsel, on the grounds that it wasn't needed because of the rehabilitative
effects of the system. That hasn't worked, according to Feld. The juvenile
justice system is nothing but a way to put more kids behind bars without
even giving them the rights that adults in the same position are guaranteed.
Just be aware: the system is out to get you. If you commit a crime or a
status offense while under the age of 18 and you don't get the "privilege"
of being tried as an adult, make sure you have a good lawyer. Maybe the time
will come when they'll combine the two systems and stop making arbitrary age
judgements.
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Zine reviews
Xaxu
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Puberty Strike
Issue 3, February '98
$2
c/o Heroes for today
PO Box 12125
Berkeley, CA 94712
A day in the life of a boy in Tucson, Arizona. Seth will tell you about
the hottest hangouts in town (and exactly what kind of hanky-panky goes on
there!). You'll also get the skinny on local street gangs, fun comics,
bizarre quizzes, and a whole lotta humor. I highly recommend this zine. Buy
it, read it, love it.
- -- ---- -
Here Title Place
Volume 3, Issue 5
Free
A glimpse back to the fun-filled days of high school. Interesting
interviews from what's for lunch to the social and psychological aspects of
being "tall." (Height and popularity for those of you who didn't get that.)
"People on the Bus" was a particularly favorite article of mine because it
was so easy to relate to being an avid rider myself. Here Title Place has
been running since 1995 and continues in the fight for free-speech. For more
information write them at htp@oblivion.net or check out their web site at
oblivion.net/htp/.
- -- ---- -
Mr. Doyle's Zine Project
A few bucks
The Wingspan
Norristown Area High School
1900 Eagle Dr.
Norristown, PA 19403
Somewhere hidden in the usual uproar of Norristown, Pennsylvania, there
lies a high school. In this school there is a paper called "The Wingspan."
In this paper lies the very thing the rest of us are fighting so hard to
attain: free speech. "What?!" you ask. "How can this be?" In this paper you
can read about issues such as random searches and unfair search and
seizures. There's even a comic about a wacky dog that can rip off his
appendages on command. Wait. Isn't this the very thing that Joe Blow was
suspended for just last year? You'd be right in thinking so. But hold on,
there's more. Mr. Chief Advisor to this paper had an idea the other day. Why
not have his students write their very own zines instead of having that
highly overrated multiple choice test each year? For five years now, John
Doyle has been working on this so-called "Zine Project."
Instead of a final, his students must publish and distribute a zine.
They're encouraged to express themselves and write exactly what they feel.
Some challenge the establishment while others write about life in the
ghetto. A bright and shining star on a cloudy night, Norristown Area High
School practices what the rest of the country's teens are preaching. Go them.
Send Mr. Doyle a copy of your zine and he'll send you the motherload
... or rather ... a big ol' pile of his. Fun fun fun!!!
- -- ---- -
Drop Out
Issue 6
$1
1114 21st Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tired of the same old teachers day in and day out, force-feeding you a
bunch of crap that'll do just about squat when it comes time to enter "the
real world"? Drop Out is the best guide I've seen yet to getting ahead with
alterative learning.
- -- ---- -
The Last
Issue 9, May '98
Donation
PO Box 21898
Milwaukee, WI 53221-0898
"In memory of the first." The Last doesn't really center on any
particular theme. It's mostly dedicated to the practice of free speech in
yet another oppressive high school. With a few articles, some poetry and a
splash of artwork, I found it to be pretty entertaining.
- -- ---- -
Brat
Issue 7
$7 for 4 issues
PO Box 4964
Louisville, KY 40204-0964
Out of Louisville, Kentucky comes a familiar cry. Down with dress codes
and screw the curfew! Much like Oblivion, Brat takes on oppressive issues
and urges the public to take action. This beautifully organized (and
polished) zine is well worth your time and damn inspiring to boot. Get your
copy today! You can write them at postmaster@brat.org or visit their website
at brat.org.
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Oblivion attempts to fight the system from within
namgorf
- - ---- -- - -------
I had just started high school, Olympia High School to be exact.
Through friends, I heard about a zine originally based at this school
created by students, both former and current. The name: Oblivion. It sparked
my interest. I mean, who, after 8 years of school, wouldn't be interested in
trying to stop the fascism and dictatorship that school is? (Okay, maybe
there are many, but I wasn't about to be one of them.)
Through powerful sources and voodoo magic, I came to be acquainted with
several people who had been involved with Oblivion since it's inception
nearly 3 years ago. I learned as much as I could, read all the past issues,
and became more and more interested.
Somehow, I came up with this crazy idea of resurrecting Oblivion. Well,
Oblivion never actually died, it just turned it's attention to "less
regional" matters and gave up on Olympia High. I, however, felt it should be
distributed in high schools. High school students are the ones that we're
trying to educate. Adults seem to be to stuck in their mindset. We have to
get the message to the youth so that when they grow older and become the
politicians, lawyers and business people, they can change things.
Over time, I bothered enough people, gathered enough info, and waited
... waited ... waited for the next issue to be printed. That day arrived on
Friday April 17, 1998. The previous day, I had stopped Mr. Dick Allen,
Olympia High School Principal, in the hall and told him that I wanted to
meet with him to discuss getting a certain publication authorized for
distribution at Olympia High. He told me to make an appointment, so make an
appointment I did. I anxiously awaited our Tuesday meeting, hoping for the
best. I was fairly certain we would be able to get Oblivion authorized. Just
one thing loomed in front of me: profanity -- the school hates it, and
Oblivion has it. On Saturday, Nemomancer dropped off 15 copies of the
recently printed Oblivion and I was psyched. This is gonna work, I thought.
Hopefully Principal Dick doesn't notice this letter talking about how
principals suck.
The next day, I showed the zine to a few friends -- they loved it.
Later that night, my mom read through it and she thought it was really cool.
On Monday, I left a copy of Oblivion with Dick's secretary and asked her to
give it to him as soon as possible. Later that day, the secretary read
Oblivion. She also thought it was really cool. She thought it was great that
us kids were actually taking the time to do all this stuff and stand up for
what we believed in. After that, I was even more pumped about the meeting
the next day. Everybody who had read it so far loved it, why wouldn't the
principal love it too?
On Tuesday, Eggnog and I headed to Dick's office during second period.
He wasn't around, so we talked to his secretary. She got on her
walkie-talkie (of which I'm sure she's very proud) and started spouting
weird codes and garble.
"Five to one, this is base." Blah, blah, blah. "Didrik Wold is here to
see you." Blah, blah, blah.
Dick finally showed up and we took a seat in his office.
"I didn't read through the whole thing, but in what I did read I found
some 'shits' and 'bastards' and such. And we have a policy about profanity
..."
We tried to explain that there are only a few profane words in
Oblivion, to no avail.
"A policy is a policy."
But those articles are submitted by individuals, and to censor them
would be wrong.
Nope. "Any publication that we authorize here at OHS has to live up to
the same standards as our school paper, and one of those is no profanity."
"What if we put a warning on it, telling people that there is profanity
in it?"
"I told you: no profanity. We can not allow you to distribute things
with profanity in it at school. Some kid takes a copy home and shows it to
his parents and then I start getting phone calls asking why I'm allowing
this. Other companies have also asked to be able to advertise at OHS."
"But Oblivion is free; we're a nonprofit organization."
"It doesn't matter, no profanity."
"Well, what if we were to make a censored copy to distribute at
school?"
"Maybe, I'd have to take another look at it. Thanks for seeing things
from my viewpoint."
"No problem." Fucker, I thought. "If we do decide to make a censored
copy, we'll come back and let you take a peek at it. Thanks for your time."
So we were rejected because Oblivion has a few objectionable words in
it ... figures. We weren't about to censor Oblivion, though we thought about
it. So, I tried doing it the "right" way and that didn't work. In reality,
it didn't stop us from giving issues to people who asked for them.
Toward the end of the school year, Nemomancer and myself organized a
distribution day. After school on the last day we were going to pass out as
many copies of Oblivion as we could pay to print. When that day arrived, we
only had 50 copies, but that didn't stop us. Eggnog, Pergatory and myself
passed out Oblivions to people we knew and people we didn't. Some even got
special greetings from Eggnog such as "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Chanukah."
It wasn't the biggest, most splendid distribution of Oblivion, but at least
we got some copies out there.
Even though we didn't get Oblivion authorized and even though we
weren't able to distribute that many copies, I still feel as if I've
accomplished something. If nothing else, at least I got 200 points in my
Health class for doing a "very original 'make something happen' project."
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Youth suffrage and YouthSpeak
Avi Hein
- - ---- -- - -------
All American citizens have the right to vote, correct? *Wrong!* Over
26% of American citizens are denied the right to vote ... solely on account
of their age. This is not democracy. This is not equality. This is not
right!
When the Constitution of the United States was written, very few people
had the right to vote. At the ratification in 1788, only 21-year-old
property owning white males had the right to vote. Later, all 21-year-old
white males were given the right to vote. The 14th Amendment redefined
citizenship to include all persons either naturalized or born in the United
States. With the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870, all males given the
right to vote, regardless of race. Fifty years later, the 19th Amendments
gave women the right to vote. Until 1971, only people over the age of 21
could vote. During the Vietnam War, due to protests and citizen action, the
26th Amendment was ratified, lowering the voting age to 18. The argument at
that time was that if 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds were old enough to die for
their country, shouldn't they at least have the right to vote for the
politicians that are sending them to their deaths.
Twenty-six percent of the American population is under the age of 18.
Twenty-six percent of the American population is *denied* the fundamental
right to determine the rules they must live under. That is wrong! That is
undemocratic! That is un-American! Justice and democracy are at the
forefront of American society -- at least in theory. For too long equality
and justice have been at the backburner of society, ignored by politicians
and people alike. It's time to return to the ideologies and principles that
this nation has lived by. It's time to allow *all* American citizens the
right to vote.
YouthSpeak, founded in March 1997 by high school student Avi Hein, is
America's first and only organization dedicated to extending the right to
vote to people under 18. Since March 1998 and until Election Day of 1998,
YouthSpeak will be involved in series of voting rights protests called
Operation Register.
Taxation without representation exists in America. It existed in 1776,
when the colonists fought against the British control, and it exists today
-- in the late 20th century. Young people are taxed, all through sales
taxes, many through income taxes, property taxes for those who own property,
and a myriad of other taxes.
Most youths are law-abiding. Young people obey laws that they have no
say in making. That is wrong! Rebecca Tilsen, 14, of Minneapolis testified
in a Minnesota House subcommittee in 1991 that, "if 16-year-olds are old
enough to drink the water polluted by the industries that you regulate, if
16-year-olds are old enough to breathe the air ruined by garbage burners
that government built, if 16-year-olds are old enough to walk on the streets
made unsafe by terrible drugs and crime policies, if 16-year-olds are old
enough to live in poverty in the richest country in the world, if
16-year-olds are old enough to get sick in a country with the worst public
health-care programs in the world, and if 16-year-olds are old enough to
attend school districts that you underfund, than 16-year-olds are old enough
to play a part in making them better."
Some people believe that young people are too immature and incompetent
to vote. Besides the fact that there is no competency test for voting and
incompetents rarely vote, that same excuse was used to bar women and
minorities from voting. Similarly, some people believe that kids will vote
the same way as their parents. Besides being patronizing and demeaning, that
claim is simply false. When women were fighting for the right to vote it was
alleged that they would vote the same way as their husbands. When women were
granted the right to vote that allegation was proven false, and similar
allegations would be proven false if youth were granted the right to vote.
Many historians have concluded that, as the Michigan City (IN) News-Dispatch
(5/15/98) found, "the excuses for keeping the vote from young people are the
same ones that kept women and minorities disenfranchised for more than a
century."
Join YouthSpeak and restore democracy to America. YouthSpeak is the
only national organization working for youth suffrage. Working with
YouthSpeak is the most effective way to get the vote. Remember: The voting
age must be lowered if America is to be a free and democratic nation and
youth need to be granted their human right to take part in the business of
their own nation by being allowed to vote.
- -- ---- -
YouthSpeak can be reached through email at youthspeak@oblivion.net or
on the web at oblivion.net/youthspeak/.
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Oblivion information
- - ---- -- - -------
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Copyrights
- - ---- -- - -------
Please distribute Oblivion everywhere you can. Do not steal little bits
and pieces without consent from the author of the bit, byte or nybble, for
they retain full copyrights to their work. If you just ask, they will
probably give permission.
- -- ---- -
Review quotes
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"In terms of actually doing politics, these kids are way ahead of me:
their [sic] right in there fighting for their rights like you're supposed to
do, & my hat's off to 'em."
-- Indy Unleashed #5
"These kids all get together and report the battles students and
faculty everywhere, and damn, they do a great job of articulating
themselves! Right on."
-- Maximumrockandroll
"Oblivion is a zine focusing on such 'youth rights movement' issues as
curfews, Internet restrictions, and age of consent."
-- MSRRT Newsletter
"Most of this is well written and entertaining to read, even for
someone that is no longer a youth like me, it seems like it would be
invaluable information for high school kids."
-- 10 Things Jesus Wants You To Know
"This zine obviously intends to be a champion for youth rights and I
think it is pretty successful in pulling that off."
-- Zine World
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Inspiration
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Zines:
Brat, Ker-bloom!, Puberty Strike, Typograpunx
Music:
Beastie Boys, Digable Planets, Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines
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Useless information
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Oblivion is generally published quarterly. We are now a nonprofit
corporation. Nobody makes money from this. We're poor, but we've still got
mad angst.
Subscriptions to Oblivion are $5 for 4 issues. We accept, cash, checks,
money orders and stamps. We also accept trades.
We accept donations. We also sell buttons. Check out
oblivion.net/store/.
Everything you see in this zine can be found on our website along with
much, much more.
We enjoy all kinds of zines. We only review zines that focus on youth
issues. We don't review music, but we like to listen to it. We also like
artistic mail.
We don't accept advertising. Despite what you may think, our readers
don't care about your breakthrough acne cream.
We give free accounts to our writers. We are also looking for php
coders.
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Contact
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Postal: PO Box 95227
Seattle, WA 98145-2227
Web: oblivion.net
FTP: ftp.oblivion.net /pub/
Email: oblivion@oblivion.net
Submissions: nemo@oblivion.net
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Extra special thanks
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Olympia Networking Services (www.olywa.net) -- for all the free
Internet services!
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