Here are some of the letters we received after the "final issue" of Profane Existence came out (the first three were also printed on the sleeve for the "Aftermath" PE benefit compilation LP):

Profane People,

I just read your sign-off letter, which I reached from the APR page. Chuck Munson had written to inform me that you folks were shutting down operations (I was in East Africa at the time), but I had never had a chance to read any of your own reasons for closing up shop.

I have to say that I am really inspired by the eloquence of your letter. Indeed, just when I am at my lowest point of faith in the anarchist movement, I read this:

"While we harbor some (perhaps foolish) ideas of putting the revolution first, in reality it is our families, friends and loved ones whom we would rather give the bulk of our attention to."

I am so relieved and happy to see these sentiments expressed with such clarity and sincerity... it makes me proud of anarchists when I see them realize the unparalleled importance of families and friends and loved ones. Right on. Maybe we WILL survive as a movement after all.

With love and respect, Joseph Average ("Practical Anarchy" editorial collective)

Hey Folks,

Just a really really late note to say thanks for all the free copies of the last issue of PE, and for the donation of all of those pamphlets and books. Your support over the years has been greatly appreciated and your legacy will be among other things deeply embedded in the consciousness of all those in prison who you reached out to.

Good luck with the future. The struggle continues.
Andy for Books to Prisoners

Dan,

Thanks your for the form letter about the Aftermath compilation. This is Richard from Enemy Soil writing...

...I am curious about something. I heard a rumor through the punk rock grapevine that some members of the former PE have in essence put the PE collective's "assets" up as collateral in order to buy a house. Is this true?

OK, take care and good luck.
Richard Soil

Oh how the truth gets twisted! I actually sold PE to Sony while on my way to see the Devil about my soul. I didn't get a house out of either deal, but I did get a shiny red Ferarri. -Dan

PE-

I just wanted to say that I think it's a really egotistical thing to stop doing PE and not pass it on to anyone else. If anything will suffer by it, it will be the scene in general, specifically the Minneapolis scene. I hope you all feel the full effects of it within your local scene as you will see it diminish from your newfound apathy. Many people rely on PE for many different things, and complaining that PE was "creation of the people who made up the collective over the years," and "To simply pass it along would take away from all of the hard work put in by those who have built it to the level it is today" is ridiculous. Sounds like the only thing it will be taking away from is your egos. Your "more active than thou" mentality is completely moronic. I think there are many people that would take over PE and run it very well; they would probably run exactly like you want it. Maybe they might even do better than you.....is that something you are afraid of as well? I just think that it'svery funny that your ridiculous PC idealism caved in on itself. Maybe it is a good thing that PE is no more. Now I don't have anyone telling me who I have to be and how a have to act to be punk. I was getting pretty fed up with hearing how punk is about "smashing all forms of oppression." Punk means many different things to different people, and although you had a very large collective, that does not give you the right to tell everyone what punk is and how they should think. I realize that this letter is two very different tones, but I want you to see how hypocritical you are. That way if you decide to put out a future collective, hopefully you will see that the whole PC/Anarcho-punk mentality is a pretty fascist one (I don't even know how many PE articles I've seen that say certain people 'deserve to die' for the 'anarchist cause'). I'm not sure where I am going with this letter, maybe just blowing off steam. I do realize that you did many good things for the scene while you were functioning, I liked some of your records and both Old Barn fests were fantastic, so I do not ignore the good aspects of PE just because a lot of things about it pissed me off. It's just that's what angers me the most, that you quit when you were doing some good things. I hope that this letter will soften your ego enough for you to pass on your work to someone else. I am in a grindcore band, and I know it would be tough for me to pass my position on to someone else, but it would be something I would just have to do for the good of my band and for the good of our local scene. I know how argumentative you people are, and I know I am probably getting myself into a long drawn-out debate, but a criticism never killed anyone.
Travis Nicholson

Actually the fact that WE started Profane Existence does in fact give US the right to say when it will end as well. The fact that it is also OUR magazine also gives US the right to express OUR opinion about what we think is right and wrong. To call that fascist is extraordinarily ridiculous, simply because you felt challenged or threatened by the words you have read. Of course I do miss the babes, booze and blow associated with zinestardom, which is the real reason PE magazine is back in print. Also, for the record, the Profane Existence Collective had nothing to do with organizing any of the Old Barn fesitivals,which should be credited to Eric and Mandy. -Dan

To everyone in the Punk community,

On Wednesday, April 19, 2000, Stratford Mercenaries, Tribe 8, 46 Short and The Roadeez played at the Black Box Cabaret on the CSU, Monterey Bay campus. I began setting up this show about two months before the date of the gig. I had been in contact with Ron Martinez of 46 Short, as he was handling the booking for the Stratford Mercenaries West Coast gigs. Lynn Breedlove of Tribe 8 and I worked out the arrangements for Tribe 8, and since The Roadeez are all CSUMB students, they agreed to play the show for free. I worked really hard to set up this show, and asked that the university pay the bands on the night that they all played. As you would probably assume, I was very excited that I was going to meet Steve Ignorant, as I had admired and respected him so much for the last four or five years, ever since I first heard Crass.

At 5:30pm, the time I had asked the bands to arrive, I showed up at the Black Box Cabaret (the only student run club on the CSUMB campus). Stratford Mercenaries and 46 Short were already there, and it was clear that the Mercenaries were already drunk. All the guys from 46 Short were very nice, and the Mercenaries were pretty outgoing, except for Steve Ignorant, who would barely say more than two words to me, although he did sign a Crass CD for my younger brother. I asked if the were hungry, and they all said yes, so I called Ryan White of The Roadeez and he picked me up and took me to Jake DeGrave's (also one of The Roadeez) house to cook the food I had purchased for the bands. From 6pm to 7pm, I cooked pasta for 20 people by myself, and then Ryan took me back to the BBC.

When I got back, Tribe 8 was there, too. I put the food on a table; got plates and forks and told everyone the food was ready to eat. 46 Short and Tribe 8 said "Thank you" and began eating. The Mercenaries just started eating and didn't even say anything, except for Mariska, who said, "Thanks." After dinner, Ron Martinez, who had booked the show with me, started asking about money, and I told him that Marisa Mercado, the school's Events Senator, should be showing up soon with the checks. When Marisa showed up, she told me she didn't have them.

Pete, a roadie for the Mercenaries, then started yelling at me, saying that they had been promised a case of beer in the contract, which was bullshit, because I had told the bands that the school wouldn't supply alcohol. But I convinced Aaron Bilyeu, a BBC employee, to open the bar back up and give the bands some free beer; the Mercenaries thanked neither Aaron nor myself for that. Aaron told the Mercenaries they could only have free beer out of the tap, because the BBC kept inventory on bottles, but they kept demanding bottles. Needless to say, Aaron was not happy with their arrogant behavior.

The Roadeez played first and did a couple of hip-hop songs, and a few punk songs. They weren't very organized as usual, but they had fun, and the sparse crowd seemed to enjoy it, so I guess that is all that matters. Their set ended chaotically (In typical Roadeez fashion) with a monitor sparking and almost catching on fire.

46 Short played next and were very good, I enjoyed there set. After they played, Marisa, Ron, Gary from the Mercenaries, and I went outside to talk about payment. Marisa explained to Ron that the checks got held up in accounting or finance and that we had tried our best to get them tonight and that we would send them ASAP. He told us that the Mercenaries were going back to England the following Monday, so we settled on Fed-Exing the checks as soon as they got processed. I told Ron and Gary that I had tried my best to get the checks for them that night, and Ron was very understanding.

Next, Tribe 8 played. They rocked! Everyone was dancing and having a great time and I was finally getting to enjoy my show. I loved Tribe 8's set; they had energy and were very happy to play. I was so glad we could get Tribe 8, they were the highlight of the evening.

Last was Stratford Mercenaries. Steve had a broken leg, so he was sitting on a stool while he sang. Although I danced and sang along with the music, the guys playing onstage lacked energy and emotion, and acted like they really didn't want to be there. After they finished, the first thing they said to me was, "We need a bottle of whiskey." They had been drinking all day, so I didn't even respond to that statement. Then, Pete the roadie starts chewing me out about the money. I tried to explain what was happening with that, and he kept saying, "I don't want to hear your excuses." Then I apologized, and he told me not to apologize, I had tried my best, what else was there to say. I helped the band load up their gear, and talked to Gary, Ed and Phil, who were all very nice to me.

After the show, Pete, the Mercenaries roadie, got in Ryan Unmack's (bass player for The Roadeez) face and told him something to the effect that he didn't like their set, and threatened to take him outside and smear him across the concrete. Ryan didn't tell me about this until the next day, if he had said something sooner I would have done something. Also, Pete called two BBC employees "fat fuck" and "bitch" for asking him to smoke outside. For his behavior, Pete will not be welcome back at CSUMB.

Steve was still inside talking to Laurel (the drummer for The Roadeez), so the rest of the band and I made our way back in. Laurel told me afterward that Steve had shown her a picture of his wife and his dog and said he can't wait to get back home. He also asked her to go back in the shadows with him because he could give her "the best oral sex she's ever had." What a fucking jerk! After everyone convened in a circle, Gary started hitting on Marisa, and then he started hitting on Laurel, too, and kept trying to kiss her, even after she pushed him away. For a couple of guys who used to be in anti-sexist bands, this seemed disappointing to me, because they just wanted to get laid.

At about 1am, all the bands had left, and Laurel realized that her Tribe 8 CD that Lynn Breedlove had signed for her was gone. It had been there after Tribe 8 and 46 Short left. And the only people in the building after that were Laurel, Marisa, Kevin Miller, two BBC employs, the Mercenaries, and myself. The only possibility is that one of the Mercenaries took it. Ryan Unmack said he saw one of the band members or their roadies eyeing it.

My conclusion: The Roadeez, 46 Short, and Tribe 8 are all class acts and great people who I would love to set up future shows with. Stratford Mercenaries, although some of them are nice people, are a bunch of womanizing drunks who treated some of my good friends like shit. It made me sad to watch their actions contradict every single word they sung. They all used to stand for so much and do so much for the punk rock community, but now all they stand for is beer, sex, and money. Fuck that! From now on I won't go to their shows, buy their music, or contact them. And as long as I'm affiliated with CSUMB, they will not play here again.

I hope everyone who reads this who is in a band realizes that without the punk community's support, you're just another lousy band. Remember this: if you treat everyone who comes to your shows with respect, they will respect you. I wrote this letter on behalf of everyone at CSUMB who was at the show and feels the same as I do.
-Ryan Ayers, Seaside, CA

We usually don't print submissions from neanderthals, but this one is too good to pass up...

I like to listen to hardcore Crust Punk like Anti-Cimex, Wolfpack, Driller Killer, Disfear and Mob 47 but i'm pissed Off at you and other Political Vegan Punk bands for shoving your Dogmatic Bullshit down other peoples throats. Punk Rockers are supposed to be against society you people sound like you are for society. you are anti-war, anti-guns,. you are also for Human Rights, Animal rights Etc. That doesn't sound like Anti-Society to me. If you people were really Against Society you wouldn't give a shit about human Rights or Animal rights. You would be for World Destruction. Its not the governments fault that Society is this way its Christianitys Fault. Support the War Against Christianity. I'm sorry but I had to get that off my chest (Figure of Speech).
(unsigned)
P.S. Oh don't tell me that I shouldn't eat meat.

HELLO ALL AT BLACKEND DISTRO JUST WANNA SAY THANX AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!! IT IS TRULY AMAZING THAT PUNKS ACTUALLY DO CARE ABOUT THINGS NOT JUST ME, ME, ME. ALSO THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR MAKING AFTERMATH AVAIALBE ON CD SO NOW I CAN PUT THE LP'S AWAY FOR STORAGE AND TO GIVE TO MY KID IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE ORDERING SOON AND ONCE AGAIN THANX AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!! MAKING PUNK A THREAT AGAIN ARE U GUYS!!!!

Here are some of the letters we have received in the past three weeks, after we announced the return of PE Magazine over the internet:

I'm so happy that you decided to bring the magazine back. I only started reading it in time for the last four issues, and I look forward to seeing some new material. Keep up the good fight.
Cheers, Todd

Dan-

Woah, a new Profane huh... I didn't see that coming.. But I think it's the best thing that you could do :) About 4 years ago I picked up my first issue of the zine. I had been strung out for quite some time and was in a complete slump in my life in general. Everything seemed to be completely fucked up, and my politics had dropped nearly entirely. I didn't think I was going to make it through that. Everyone seemed entirely apathetic and not willing to do anything for themselves- it was always them trying to join up with someone who already had a project going just to see their name get out, instead of starting something of their own. Rockstars abounded. Disillusionment was my entire life at that point.

So I was sitting at a friends house listening to Cruachan when he tossed me a copy of Profane, the new issue at the time. I picked it up not really wanting to read it, thinking that it would be a stack of pages full of people whining about other kids in the scene, bitching about a bad review of their record, whatever. The usual shit. Or at least be completely unoriginal, covering Nike, animal rights, etc (which I'm not necessarily saying is bad: but the info is very easily accessible and no one even tries to dig deep into more obscure/lesser known issues).

I took the zine home and didn't give it much thought. When I was kicking dope one day I was flat on my back in bed and wishing I could make a trip to the library, needing something to read. Then I remembered the zine and thought, fuck I should read that and get it back to Mike.. And shit, I'm glad I did.

As stupid and strange as it could sound, that thing changed my entire life. To see a group of people so completely dedicated, who could express themselves so well, who had issues to speak of that were not the subject of discussion in every other zine kicking around, to see something that I could learn from and wanted to pass on to others, and which ultimately motivated me to change my entire lifestyle.

I read every issue of the zine I could get my hands on. I quit doing dope. I started a record and screen printing distribution (which unfortunately was stolen by an ex- damn drama :), singlehandedly started an infoshop and bookstore, got involved with every collective I heard of, and started one of my own. I began travelling to develop a strong cross country network of contacts and resources and am working on quite a few very long term projects. Currently I am getting my ass in gear to start a label, and am working on publishing a book.

Sorry to bore you with this- I'm sure you've heard it from a lot of people. But I just wanted to let you know how much I respect the Profane crew (esp. those who stuck around for the aftermath and continued with Blackened.. what is it, two of you?). I almost shit when I heard you were publishing another issue of Profane. It's great that you are putting that together again. I just moved out of Minneapolis and to Olympia Washington- I am a collective member of an activist community center here, Praxis, and would love to distribute serious quantities in this area, for free- do you have special rates on zines? eg a box of, say, 100 for X amount of dollars? I'm kind of fucked on money but I don't want people to have to pay for them, I just want to get more people involved with the scene, especially the younger people around here who don't have the slightest idea that this scene exists in the first place- and it'd be nice to hand them out for free instead of asking people to fork out money.

Anyways, it would be nice to keep in some kind of correspondence, and I'm fucking stoked you're doing Profane again :) Even if it ends up being one issue...

Damn that's more than enough writing for one night, I'm out of here..
Lovin' and solidarity, THAIS

Dan--

I can't tell you how happy I am that P.E. will begin again. I think it's awesome that, despite all our difficulties in doing this shit, we apparantly are unstoppable. Beautiful! We'll try to get our shit together to support the new one by buying an ad, maybe in the issue after this one if we can't get our finances together (typical!).

Also, I hate to bring up a difficult issue--but your collective has owed ours many hundreds of dollars for over two years now... I'm not trying to make you feel bad about it or harass you, since I know how this stuff goes, but (although maybe other CrimethInc.'ers have heard from you about this?) I've never actually heard anything from you about when or if you can pay us... if you could just give me a general idea, it would be really reassuring. We're fucking floundering in debts too, of course. Maybe we could begin by trading debt for adspce in P.E....

Anyway, please respond with a little email when you can. Business bullshit aside, it would be great simply to be in touch with you guys.
Yours, Brian for C-thInc. collective

Dan & Joe -

Congratulations! I was sorry to see Profane go and I'm glad to hear it'll be coming back. You have my support.
Arwen/MRR

Dan-

Man, that's cool, I've kept thinking that with news stories of Seattle or Eugene or Washington D.C... It's ironic that punk was a threat again now that Profane was gone.. There's a lot of news to cover...I'll try to see what's in the Prank coffers for an ad, and send you new stuff when it happens...
Best wishes, KEN

DAN:

YES! One of my predictions for 2000 came true! Now it's time to collect (one of my bandmates now owes me a six pack of beer)!

Anyway, the W.U.O.S. has been rolling-almost done recording a demo but for some reason I'm after the other two guys to change the name. Still doing the Refuse Planet, plus I'm gonna be writing for an online Cincy zine called Braindead 76.

That's about it...I got a mail from Kerry the other night and we're playing with them (Scorned) here on August 12th. I'm stoked; I know it's gonna be fuckin' mad (as you Northerners say).

Anyway take care and you'll be hearin form me again soon. Cheers, DOUG S.

Actually "Fuckin Mad" was brought here by the Connecticut yankees, who trace the term's origin's to their Anglophile roots -Dan

Dan and Joe -

Sounds great! I can't wait to see the new issue. I hope this is something you guys can do and still maintain your sanity, because Profane Existence is definitely a much needed resource. Glad to see you decided to make it happen again.
Good Luck! Bill Boulger

Dan & co.-

Holy shit! Great news! Congrats on the return of PE. You know, I'm really happy to see this. I could discuss this at great length, but seriously one of the reasons I got Short Fast & Loud rolling was that in recent years I've seen a sharp drop in fastcore/thrash/crust/grind/noise coverage out there. Despite the fact that there are more bands and individuals involved than ever before, for whatever reason a lot of people seem to think that this style of music is "dying out". I think the demise of PE and the influx on endless emo / indie rock mags were certainly contributing factors to that. I'm really excited that PE is coming back because (without trying to sound self-congratulatory here) I think SF&L and PE can help fill the void without really covering the same material. PE is obviously more politics oriented & SFL is more centered around music, new and retro, so I think they'll actually compliment each other well by covering the scene from different angles. The point is, this has really got my wheels turning as well and I'm happy to see you're back in action.

Good luck, Chris

Dear Dan and Joe!

This is Stivie from Ruin Nation Records (Germoney) here, many thanx for the message and,... hey, it´s so bleeding cool to hear that you will continue with the Zine! A cardiac for many folx i know and of course for me too,...and the right medicine before the diy punk network goes to stoke,...
Stivie.

PS: If you have enough space left,..., maybe you can put the following info in your next issue / and /or Spread the word??? Thanx.!

Important Message from RUIN NATION RECORDS!!!

Due to a fucking mistake, the Adress collection file on our Compuker got completely deleted, and we have lost our whole Adresses of Records Labels, "Costumers" and Distributions. We could save some addresses from invoices...etc, but this isn´t nearly 50% of the whole lost adresses! So, please,... i you are still interestet into being in contact with us, please send us a Postcard/Letter/email with your address again, and we can send you the latest catalogues and infos! Postage donations would be also fine but not so necessary! We´re truly sorry about this disaster..., compuker sometimes really stinks!!! FANZINES! Please print this in your next issue, if you have the space left...

Hot kisses and many thanx!...., Stivie & Kök.
CONTACT.: RUIN NATION * PO BOX 1417 * 49363 VECHTA * GERMANY.
evil mail.: RNRSTIVIE@aol.com.

IF YOU WANT TO PLAY HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, AND PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA, AND YOU'RE NOT A MONEY GRUBBING PIECE OF SHIT PUNK BAND GET IN TOUCH WITH ME AT:
CRUSTYBASTARD@HOTMAIL.COM
DIY OR DIE
PUNKS IN MAINE, USA GET IN TOUCH . LETS START A CONNECTION!