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Rich Mackin performance cancelled
by Emma
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2003 at 6:42 PM
info@1877.org
Official statement from 1877 on the cancellation of the Rich Mackin show
In solidarity with sexual assault survivors everywhere, we, the community of 1877, have decided to cancel Rich Mackin's performance scheduled for Wednesday April second. We apologize to anyone who has been offended or feels disrepected by the previous decision to allow Mackin to perform. At the time the decision was made we were underinformed about the situation. Upon receiving additional information about the rape charges an emergency meeting was called, at which concensus was reached to cancel Rich Mackin's show. In reference to our mission statement,"Project 1877 is a haven for all people in Pittsburgh working toward progressive social change. It's a community space that connects activists of all classes, races, sexualities, genders and beliefs," Rich Mackin would never have been invited to perform.
Although previous to this event, Rich Mackin did not have negative interactions with individuals here, this was obviously not the case in Boston. Unfortunately we were not made aware of the assaults until recently. In the spirit of mutual aid and communication we intend to make this statement available to all the other spaces in which Rich Mackin intends to perform.
Unfortunately even in the most progressive communities there are sexual predators. It is our responsibility as a community to take action in creating a safe environment for everyone. We do so by not allowing individuals to perform that have been detrimental to their communities and the progressive community as a whole.
We thank the survivors of the assaults. Your courage in speaking out has caused us to address the prevention of sexual assault within our community. We hold Rich Mackin accountable for his actions though he has yet to take resposibility.
Instead of Rich Mackin's performance, a discussion and workshop dealing with sexual predators within our community will be held at 7:30 at Project 1877. Thank you for your time and we hope to see you there.
OUR CONTACT INFO:
Project 1877 - http://www.1877.org -
(412)363-1877
4805 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Sexual assault contact info:
Rape Abuse and Incest National Network
http://www.RAINN.org 1-800-656-HOPE
Pittsburgh Action Against Rape
http://www.PAAR.net
24 Hour Hotline 1-866-END-RAPE
Pittsburgh office (412)431-2576
a side note
by RAGer
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2003 at 7:17 PM
Just a side note. I was at the meeting today and thought it was a kick ass process. I just wanted to add that since we as radicals (many anarchists) dont feel "protected" by kops or courts it is important for us to be clear that this type of shit will not be tolerated in our community. We must organize proactive ways to deal with sexual assault and also the general mysogyny in the activist scene. So anyway, hopefully this will turn into an ongoing discussion that can happen on a regular basis about mysogyny sexism heterosexism etc.
.
by .
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2003 at 8:54 PM
Upon receiving additional information about the rape charges an emergency meeting was called
ARGH! What is this additional info!?!?! Does no one else find it terrifying that a group of nameless people with no accountability can do this? Either make the charges or drop them and move along!
Ongoing discussion
by Ken Kaminski
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2003 at 11:35 PM
naaa1123@yahoo.com
The activist community here doesn't seem mysogynistic to me. Could you maybe tell us more about particular experiences you've had with activists, watching activism, or as an activist that would lead you to feel this way?
Not a Crime
by -
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 5:43 AM
Nowhere did I see that Rich committed any crime. I certainly did not see anything anywhere that even suggested he committed "rape". At most he committed "boorish behavior." Even the description that his accuser gave of his actions was not rape. Please stop persecuting this man unjustly. Our is the Pittsburgh activist community nothing more than that torch carrying mob from the Frankenstein movie?
listen
by jwg
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 7:47 AM
Mr. Mackin himself contacted project 1877 and asked them if they wanted him off of the bill. He has stated that he did not want to perform if his presence would make people uncomfortable.
So your point is moot. Project 1877 is run on consensus, they had a discussion about the situation and came to a consensus.
LISTEN
by =
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 7:55 AM
if they don't want him there that is there rght. but quit talking about the guy having committed heinous crime as if it is fact. that is wrong and is not within your right. i am certain he did not want to come to pittsburgh given the consensus of the bloodthirsty mob you have created. quit calling him a rapist. even the statement from the alleged victim didn't describe a rape. so the point is not moot so long as you continue to refer to him in this manner.
the point is
by jwg
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 8:08 AM
that he is not welcome to the 1877space. everything else is just the reasoning behind it. Everyone also admitted that they were only allegations but that he was not responding to other than saying "I have done horrible things to women"
THE POINT IS
by =
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 8:18 AM
That he doesn't have to respond to you at all. the point also is that if he isn't welcome at 1877 then fine, but you cannot go around calling the guy a rapist. it doesnt matter that you acknowledge thatt these are only allegations if you speak of them as fact. i have to say i have not seen anyone from 1877 or its supporters say that these were only allegations. they allsay that these things must be fact because the victimns say so. and then of all the offensive things the victim give a detailed description of something that is not at all rape. you really need to stop this bullshit. you are violating every principal of freedom and liberty that you profess to stand for by your conduct in this matter. i just hope for your sake that you are not accused of something so terrible and the consensus of the mob is that you must be guilty and should be shunned. there is a special place in hell for people like you and the others that are conducting themselves this way. your conduct is the total antithesis of justice.
doesn't make sense
by jwg
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 8:25 AM
"it doesnt matter that you acknowledge thatt these are only allegations if you speak of them as fact."
does that make sense to you? Acknowledging that they are allegations means you're speaking about them as allegations, not fact.
and In most of my posts about the subject, I have said that they were allegations that needed to be understood further. But when the allegation is made and all you want to respond with is "i have done horrible things" you won't win anyone over.
MAKES PERECT SENSE
by =
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 8:32 AM
JWG, go back and read the posts. you may have tried to backpedal on the allegation vs. fact isssue, but you seem to come out on the 'giuilty until proven innocent' side of things. but still, the overwhelming number posts agaisnt this guy treat teh allegations as fact and do not even refer to them as unproven allegations. even the official response of 1877 refers to rape. you have all presented it as if this guy committed rape, based upon the allegations of a woman who in her detaield descriptions of his actions does not describe a rape. call you aclu lawyers and ask them to review these posts. ask them to look at rich macklins own site. and then ask them how they woudl defend rich macklin. they will tell you that you guys are totally out of control here. your mob mentality tretment of this guy, your disregardfor justice, it makes you all a bunch of hipocrits. that is the issue jwg.
Rich Mackin
by jwg
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 8:42 AM
he's not asking to be defended, he agrees with the decision of the project and is actually the one to suggest it to him.
This topic is yesterday's papers.
OH GREAT
by =
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 8:51 AM
i hope the papers didnt slander him like you guys have. did you ever stop to think that maybe he agreed with the decisino because he just wanted the character assassination to stop. do you think you may have beat him down. do you think that he could have come here after the environment you create (unjustly i woudl add). you guys at the very very least owe rich mackin an apology. i cannot wait until you make an offensive remark to somebody or an unwanted overture that is made out to be sexual assault. if you truly sit down and think about it you probably already have at some point in your limited experience. your handling of this matter was completely wrong and unjust and offensive. now you have to live with the responsibilities of your actions and try to begin acting like a decent human being.
RIch Mackin Is The Victim
by Libertarian Avenger
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 12:08 PM
Project 1877's Official response above presents the allegations of sexual assault as if it is a fact and he is guilty. This is why we have laws protecting individuals against this sort of prosecution, whether by other citizens or by the government. In a court of law we have established rules of evidence to prevent the use of unfounded rumor an inuendo. Probably more troubling is the convenient re-defining of the term "rape" that you have employed agaisnt Mr. mackin. I read the statement of the purported victim of Mr. Mackin's young male caddish behavior, and no where was a rape described to have been committed. Yet youhave done serious, if not irreparable harm, to Mr. Mackin's reputation. ANyone who ever does an internet search on Mr. Mackin will immediately find this discusino with its damning titles. How is Mr. Mackin to explain this? Better yet, why should he have to or have ever been placed in this situation. I also took the time to visit Mr. Mackin's own site where I found postings by his "accuser" Ms. Streetpixie. What Is clear from this posting is that Ms. Streetpixie has some gripe with Mr. Mackin (but she never said it was rape or even enything to that level) but she does make it clear that she woudl like to make life difficult for Mr. Mackin right now (and could do so if not for her commitments with an arts organization in Boston). All of this is very peculiar.
Project 1877 has every right to deny access to its venue to anyone they choose. They are a private organiation and not a public accomodation. However, Project 1877 does nto have the right to continue to slander Mr. Mackin. It is completely foolish to think that Ms. Streetpixie shoudl not go to the local District Attorney with her complaints of rape becasue the governemt somehow offers a less than welcoming environment for rendering justice in these matters. It is even more foolish to beleive that (as annarchists apparently do) airing these matters in public onthe interent provides justice for anyone. Was Ms. Streetpixie afraid of torment or retributino from the public courts? Is the opportuity fo torment or retributino lessened for her if she airs her complaints in public over the internet? Or is it jsut that the public courts provide recourse and accountability for making false and slanderous statements. Acountability and recourse which the accusers may well want to avoid in this case.
Please remember that hte original postings on Mr. Mackin made it sound as if he was a serial rapist with several victims coming forward agaisnt him daily. That was terrible of each of you to allow this to occur. I was very glad to see that there were several people capable adn brave enough to speak out in defense of Mr. mackin's rights as an individual.
I urge each of you who had a hand in this shameful assualt om Mr. Mackin to fins a way to make amends with him. I also urge each of you to find a way to avoiding allowing htis to happen in the future.
wow
by Sam
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 12:53 PM
You folks at the 1877 are no better than a lynch mob. Shame on you.
.
by .
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 1:27 PM
No, the nameless crowd from Boston is the lynch mob. Project 1877 is just like the deputy who "forgets" to lock the back door to the jail so the mob can break in and take their helpless victim.
Project 1877's "Justice"
by =
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 2:34 PM
Where are we:
"Now the young white girl said that the black man raped her. Now we all know her to be a gentle young thing from a fine family. And we have several other of our young women who have said that he has made improper comments to them. We have several of the young ladies who say that he makes them feel most uncomfortable with his leering and his uninvited comments. I beleive that we have everything we need to know to go get him and string him up ourselves if that big city judge will not do what we know is right."
Somewhere in Alabama, circa 1909? Or somewhere in Pittsburgh circa yesterday? You decide.
Maybe the mob at Project 1877 should go back and read To Kill A Mockingbird.
more wow !
by Sam
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 2:38 PM
I think the "Libertarian Avenger" is correct in saying that the conduct of the 1877 posse are legally actionable. The unsustantiated rumors that these individuals have circulated about Makin have cost him income, and may have damaged his reputation beyond repair. I encourage Mr. Makin to seek legal remedy in the courts as I'm sure he can find a good attorney to take a "slam dunk" case such as this. It is important to remember here that the 1877 lynch mob is NOT free to assume judicial powers over a free citizen. It is immoral and unethical to mete out their own brand of private justice. In short, it is a violation of Makins' civil rights.
I hope that there is another venue, a TRUE "radical space," of authentic autonomy, that will step forward and offer Mr Makin a place to perform. I and many others would gladly cross any picket to see Mr Makin exercise his free speech rights.
I urge all concerned citizens to help Makin protect his civli rights. Let the 1877 posse know that thier use of unsubstantiated rumors, un-named accusors, and secret tribunals to destroy a man's carreer is unacceptable and must be stopped.
Innocent until PROVEN guilty !
by 2balls
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 2:55 PM
It's dirty shame that the calm, rational voices within Project 1877 were drowned out by the shrill carping of a bunch of vindictive penis haters who operate solely on heresay and rumor. I also feel bad for the promoter, whose hard work and dedication have been negated by this bunch of biddy hens.
It's sad to see Project 1877 hijacked by a minority faction that seeks to deny a fellow human being his basic civil rights. Makin HAS A RIGHT to confront his accussors in a court of law, and where he can be punished or vinicated accordingly.
SO you think it wasn't presented as fact ?!?!
by =
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 3:08 PM
Just for the hell of it, I had some time and went back to check the string. All of you ignorant fools who are too busy being apologists for 1877 need to look at teh letter form "laura" that started all of this. The following is the first paragraph:
"Rich Mackin has sexually assaulted numerous people in Boston
and around the country. How many we do not know, because more survivors are coming forward every day. We are shocked
that you would host an event by a known perpetrator of sexual violence. "
It does nto say that he "allegedly" did these things, it says he "has" and he has done it repeatedly.
Then you get an accuser who describes Mr. Mackin's conduct as anything but rape. The only thing that has been raped here is Mr. Mackin's human rights. Enjoy the hell you have created Project 1877.
minority
by matt
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 5:25 PM
it's not a minority if they made this decision by consensus. also, you're a sexist.
double speak does in the activists
by big brother
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 8:33 PM
I agree with a broadened, more feminist definition of rape. However, many (if not most) of the people who read allegations of rape will not understand 1877's defnition of it. Regardless of unsubstantiation (I personally don't usually doubt accusors), it is doing a huge injustice to Mackin to paint an image of a serial-rapist who uses force to get his way. While his behavior may be reprehensible, and while he may have caused individuals harm, he has never been rumored to be a violent or physically dangerous person. To use words like "rape" and "predator," without fully explaining your enlightened definitions, is misleading. As stated by others, it could be construed as libel. Pittsburgh=progressive? Maybe in thought, but not in action.
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