Category Archives: prison

To End Racial Capitalism, We Will Need to Take on Policing

Today’s post on LANDBack Friends TO END RACIAL CAPITALISM, WE WILL NEED TO TAKE ON POLICING – LANDBACK Friends

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, capitalism, Des Moines Mutual Aid, LANDBACK, police, prison, white supremacy | Leave a comment

Time Stood Still

Yesterday time stood still. Images of crowds of people staring at their phones all over the country. Those inside focused on television, cell phone, tablet or computer screens. A collective silence. It’s almost too ironic to say a collective holding … Continue reading

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Great Plains Action Society, prison, race, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

I hope you choose that path, no matter how hard it is

As a White person, it grieves me deeply to watch so many of us (White people) continue to try to hide behind our privilege. As I was thinking I would not have to enumerate the following atrocities, I realized there … Continue reading

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, police, prison, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Bail Bonds

I’ve recently written about the Des Moines Mutual Aid Bail Fund. Concentration camps versus abolition A Quaker friend reminded me that some early Friends (Quakerism began in the mid 1600’s) refused to be released from prison by posting bail. For … Continue reading

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, police, prison, Quaker, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Abolition of police and prisons

I’ve been participating in Zoom discussions of the Quaker Abolition Network, initiated by Mackenzie Barton-Rowledge and Jed Walsh. The following is from an article they wrote for Western Friend. Mackenzie: Let’s start with: What does being a police and prison … Continue reading

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, civil disobedience, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid, police, prison, race, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What does abolition look like in Iowa?

I have joined the Quaker Abolition Network, a new national network of Friends working toward the abolition of police and prisons. I used to think of abolition in terms of the institution of slavery, the death penalty, or nuclear weapons. … Continue reading

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, civil disobedience, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid, police, prison, Quaker, race, Uncategorized, white supremacy | Leave a comment

White Quakers Part 2

This is the second in a series of articles I plan to write about White Quakers. Yesterday I began by writing about White Quakers and Native Peoples, specifically about land theft and settler colonization. I strongly feel there is an … Continue reading

Posted in #NDAPL, abolition, Black Lives, capitalism, climate change, Dakota Access Pipeline, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March, Great Plains Action Society, Green New Deal, Indigenous, Kheprw Institute, monuments, Native Americans, police, prison, Quaker, Quaker Meetings, Seeding Sovereignty, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Introduction to abolition and Quakers today

I used to think of abolition in terms of slavery, or the death penalty, or nuclear weapons. Today discussions about abolition are more commonly about abolishing police and prisons. I’m just beginning to learn how that might come about. This … Continue reading

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