Juggalo March 2017: Thoughts from inside

The underground scene is buzzing right now about the march on Washington D.C. later this year. Lots of controversy has sparked in regards to certain aspects of the event. Let\’s cover the march itself first. In 2011, Juggalos, as a whole were officially labeled, by the F.B.I. a criminal gang. Not only a gang, but one of the top 10 most dangerous gangs. When the powers that be\” can\’t understand or control a group of people, that group of people becomes a threat. When that happens, the Constitution takes a back seat to the struggle for power. All our rights are being confiscated by Uncle Sam and the most important one is under siege- the freedom of expression, speech, and to associate with who we want. When a genre of music goes its own way and puts two middle fingers to the mainstream music industry like horror-core and rip-Hop, they are challenging capitalism in general and must be destroyed. How do they take down these record labels without showing their true agenda? They demonize the very group of people who consume the music: Juggalos. Here\’s a couple examples of some lyrics that are more than enough motive to take out the rebellious industry. \”We\’re dropping bombs, Underground bombs       F***k the whole industry, bitch, Bring\’em on\” -Daddy X from Kottonmouth Kings          \”The industry business is all screwed up          I have no favorite rapper because all you suck\” -Hopsin        \”The purpose of this presentation is to show that the conspiratorial view of history, particularly of recent history, is the correct view, and that it properly can be identified as the Capitalism Conspiracy\” -Hed P.E. These are all examples of lyrics that the real underground music industry- which is made up of about 98% Juggalos- lives by. I’m not talking about \”underground\” like when a mainstream band comes out with an album that is sold out of his trunk and they call it underground to look rebellious; That\’s just perpetration. By underground, I mean the anti-mainstream, non-conformist, free-thinking majority. With lyrics like those, it’s no mystery why the governmental powers that be would target a group like Juggalos as not only a gang threat, but basically \”terrorists.\” After 5 years of court proceedings, and testimony from many Juggalos, the case was thrown out without trial (another right that\’s been scrapped in the name of this tyranny). As a result, Psychopathic Records- the nucleus of the Underground scene and the Juggalo universe announced that they will fund and organize a march on Washington D.C. at Noon on September 16, 2017. Juggalos from all over are invited to try their best to attend and show the world that we, as a family, are pissed off and not ready to lay down and take it like so many other groups have in the past. The march on Washington is about more than Juggalos; it’s about stopping the oppression of a government who claims to lead a \”free country\” until you say something they dislike. If somebody is a self-proclaimed freedom fighter, free thinker, anarchist, or patriot, they should show up and say to the oppressors that it will end with the Juggalos and we, as a country, will not allow it to happen to another group, be it religious, political, or musical. Freedom isn\’t free and this is a perfect way to demand our freedom as a people. So mark your calendars, call in sick to work, get a baby sitter, and march side- by- side with the Juggalo Family to show the world that we deserve the title of a \”free country.\” Psychopathic Records, who are organizing the march, have called for it to be a peaceful event, to march with anger and pride, but to save the venting for the concert. That\’s right, there will be a free concert that may go past the 24 hour period after the march, consisting of any and all bands who will show up in support of this peaceful cause. The biggest controversy of the whole thing surrounds the group Twiztid, who besides Insane Clown Posse, is the most loved band by Juggalos. Twiztid is credited alongside I.C.P. with taking the word \”Juggalo\” and turning it into a true culture. Twiztid declined to play the post-march concert, which has caused them to lose much respect from the Juggalo community. I am reminded of the lyrics to the song \”We Don\’t Die\” by Twiztid:               \”As long as y\’all rock this we wont quit               we do it allfor y\’all, I mean that shit             Every one of y\’all means everything to me           We bleed for y\’alll thats why we call it family\” So for them to decline the concert was, in my opinion, a form of treason against the Underground world I’ve lived in for so long. I have been through hell and back in the name of my Juggaloism. I went through a torturous existence all my life. Every kind of abuse you can imagine, I have been through. I had NO friends until my 8th grade year, when I found out what I am: A Juggalo. Not what I became a part of or some cause I joined, I literally mean I found out what I am: a Juggalo. I embraced it to the fullest even when society didn\’t. I\’ve been kicked out of schools, harassed by police, tormented at home and by the administration because they couldn’t fathom what I was about. My freshman year of High School, I went to the school board of my school and gave a seminar on what we represent and they approved the Hatchetman merchandise, until the school removed me from their student roster so they could ban it again. Then in 2012, I got sent to prison for a crime totally un-related to Juggalos in any way. Upon entry to prison they took photos of all my tattoos including the Hatchetman logo on my right forearm, and the word Juggalo in big letters on my left forearm. The gang coordinator interrogated me for an hour in relation to my “gang affiliation” (his words). I told him I wasn’t part of any Juggalo-based gangs or organizations, It\’s just what I am. Just like I’m white, I\’m from Iowa, and I’m a male. These, along with being a Juggalo, are things I cannot control. It was the hand I was dealt. So after about a year in prison, the problems started. I would meet other Juggalos and we would all work out together or sit and exchange ideas and views on Juggaloism. This was a red flag to the administration and they labeled me a gang leader and sent me from medium custody to super maximum custody. It was here that I found myself among real life serial killers, gang leaders, and the worst murderers and rapists in the state- all because I chose to congregate with like-minded people. I spent three and a half years of my five year sentence in solitary confinement losing my mind (literally) for gang activity and simply for having I.C.P. lyrics or a Hatchetman drawing in my cell. All this prejudice made me a more devout, serious Juggalo because I refuse to allow this to continue. I hope to be at the march if humanly possible to fight for my right of expression and to stand up for my beliefs. If I cannot, I will be there in spirit and sending my support and I hope every citizen who values our rights, Juggalo or not, will be there, because after all, you could be next. -Cameron Edwards