AFSC statement on Buffalo mass murder and racist violence

The American Friends Service Committee issued this statement today in the wake of the hate-driven mass killing in Buffalo:

This weekend, 10 people were killed and three were injured by a white supremacist at a grocery store in a majority Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the communities in Buffalo during this time. We are holding you in the Light.

These horrifying acts of racist violence compound the ongoing trauma caused by relentless anti-Blackness espoused not only by individuals like the man who carried out this attack, but also in all sectors of the country. We are holding in the Light our staff, volunteers, and community members who are particularly impacted by these attacks and the ideology behind them, and we deepen our commitments to work for a world without racism and violence.

The suspected shooter is an 18-year-old white man whose actions were motivated by his belief in “great replacement theory,” also referred to as “white replacement theory,” a deeply racist belief that is growing in popularity and is amplified by right-wing media and political leaders. This ideology not only incites violence in the present but is used to justify and even celebrate centuries of violence. It is also intensely anti-immigrant, antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and misogynistic. We stand in community and solidarity with those also named in the manifesto reported to have been written by the killer, which targeted Muslims, Jewish communities, trans people, and immigrants. 

AFSC is committed to eliminating white supremacy and violence wherever they are found. This means being honest and accountable to our history and our present. This means we must embrace a trauma informed approach to community care; believe and support victims and survivors; and above all, make every effort to prevent such violence by eradicating its very root.

Better luck this time

Fifty years after the original effort, a new Poor People's Campaign kicked off yesterday around the country. Somewhere between 100 and 200 people attended a rally outside the capitol in Charleston WV yesterday (luckily in the shade). Things were pretty laid back here, but in several state capitols and in DC there were arrests for civil disobedience.

The American Friends Service Committee, i.e. my long-suffering employer, was heavily involved in the original campaign and is all on board this time. Two national leaders of the organization were arrested in DC yesterday. Not sure about the total around the country.

The plan is 40 days of nonviolent action and education which will be "a call to moral revival." You can read more about the campaign and how to get involved here.

More work to do

In recent years, WV has made progress in juvenile justice reform. We've take a few steps away from locking up kids at $100,000 or more per year for truancy...but there's still more to go. The missing piece is the mental health angle.

We as in AFSC  and the WV Center on Budget and Policy recently released a report on where things are and where we need to go. Here's a link to the full report.

And here's a summary of the key findings. We hope to work with folks in the coming year to move things along:



Every year in West Virginia, around 4,000 juveniles will appear before a judge. Pending the judge’s decision, a juvenile may be given an improvement period to address the behavior, put on probation, referred to a special court, or committed to some form of out-of-home placement. However, the state’s juvenile justice system can be confusing and data is often difficult or impossible to obtain.

This report provides an overview of West Virginia’s juvenile justice system, including historical background, recent reforms, and recommendations for improvements. It also suggests looking at the system through a mental health lens could lead to more constructive solutions and positive outcomes for the state’s youth offenders.

“When West Virginia confines a young person for a minor, non-violent offense, too often it puts him or her at risk of being drawn more deeply into the criminal justice system,” said Sean O’Leary, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy Interim Executive Director. “While the state has recently embarked on the path of juvenile justice reform, there is still more work to be done. A greater focus on juvenile mental health would help West Virginia build on its recent progress.”

Key Findings

*West Virginia bucks the national trend with its high confinement rates. It was one of only five states where the rate of detention increased, despite a drop in both crime and population.

*In 2013, West Virginia confined juveniles at a rate of 510 per 10,000. By contrast, Massachusetts, with nearly four times the population of West Virginia, had just 393 youth in confinement.

*African American youth were nearly three times as likely to be confined as their white counterparts. West Virginia’s youth confinement rate for African Americans was 1.5 times higher than the national average.

*West Virginia was second only to Wyoming to confining young females. With a rate of 175 per 100,000, the Mountain State far exceeded the national rate of 47.

*Incarceration or other forms of detainment early in life are a major life disruption in the ordinary life course, which can have ripple effects into the future. Prior incarceration was a greater predictor of recidivism than carrying a weapon, gang membership, or poor parental relationships.

*In 2013, only one out of every eight committed youth in West Virginia was locked up based on a violent crime, such as homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, or sexual assault.

*Community-based programs were more cost-efficient and effective with recidivism rates than DJS facilities.

*In 2014, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin convened the West Virginia Intergovernmental Task Force on Juvenile Justice, which brought together legislative and judicial leaders as well as system experts to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the state’s system and to produce policy recommendations.
West Virginia’s juvenile justice system has made real progress, however, it continues to face significant problems, particularly in the area of juvenile mental health.

*Looking at the system through a mental health lens could lead to more constructive solutions and positive outcomes for youth offenders. Some next steps include: creating a task force to address juvenile mental health; build the infrastructure to help public schools address mental health issues before a student is suspended or sent to court; and a long-term goal should to build an infrastructure which would ensure that students in danger of entering the system are assessed and referred to appropriate community-based programs whenever possible and appropriate.

West Virginia’s communities, families, and youth will benefit if the only young people who are confined or detained in out-of-home facilities are those who constitute a threat to the public or themselves.

Thoughts on Orlando

The South Region of the American Friends Service Committee issued this statement in the wake of the Orlando shootings.

The horrific violence of the Orlando mass shooting has appalled and saddened people of good will throughout the United States and the world. The American Friends Service Committee’s South Region stands in solidarity with all who mourn this tragic event. Like everyone else touched by this, we send our thoughts and prayers on behalf of the dead, the wounded, the fearful and the grieving.

Our staff and volunteers have labored long and hard in Florida and throughout the American South to promote nonviolence and social justice. Our work intersects with many of the flashpoints and fault lines this disaster reveals.

We have consistently opposed bigotry, hatred, intolerance and violence when these are directed towards those who are or are perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. We have actively opposed—and are actively opposing—discriminatory policies proposed or enacted throughout our region.

At the same time, we oppose the hatred and fear directed against Muslims by those who blame the entire Islamic community for the actions of individuals or small groups. We also fear that the backlash created by these events will result in harm to already marginalized immigrant communities from all backgrounds.

We recognize that violence and discrimination against people who are LGBT is a worldwide problem not confined to any region or religion. In our region, mean-spiritedness has often taken the form of bigoted legislation coming from the highest circles. We also recognize that Islamophobia, particularly when trumpeted by would-be leaders and media outlets, can lead to further alienation and acts of violence. The tragedy also highlights the needless suffering caused by easy access to weapons of mass murder and a culture that glorifies violence.

In the words of Lucio Perez-Reynozo, coordinator of AFSC’s Florida programs, “nothing that can be said can ease the pain and suffering of those who lost their relatives and those whose relatives were injured during this act of violence.  As individuals, we are called upon to reflect deep down in our consciousness and spirituality to find our divine force and condemn human violence happening in Orlando and around the world.  Violence only brings more violence.”

Situations like this one call upon the better angels of our nature. We urge those in positions to influence public opinion and promote public safety to avoid xenophobic responses to this attack, which could only worsen an already bad situation. This is a time to mourn, but also to build bridges and to reject hate even as we work to build a safer, freer and more secure world for all.

Those of us who carry out the work of the American Friends Service Committee in the South region, which ranges from southern Florida to central Appalachia, rededicate ourselves to the difficult task of opposing all forms of oppression and violence, whatever their source.

In the words of Albert Camus, “We all carry within us our places of exile, our crimes and our ravages. But our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to fight them in ourselves and in others.”

Haiti

HAITI. Haiti faces a humanitarian catastrophe in the wake of Tuesday's massive earthquake. The American Friends Service Committee has a history of working in that country and will respond with immediate humanitarian assistance by working with partner organizations in the country and plans to commit available resources to longer term reconstruction. For more information on how you can help, click here or call 1-888-588-2372.

Regular posts will resume tomorrow.