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Thinking about abolition
Aug. 14th, 2011 04:09 pmSo, as posted earlier, I've either fallen into or been led (in the sense of a spiritual leading) into speaking out as a family member of a murder victim against the death penalty. The word "abolition" comes up in reference to ending the practice, and it has interesting resonances. It's quite different in my mind from "prohibition," which means "nobody should be allowed to do this and we want the government to enforce it." Abolition in the sense of both the death penalty and the practice of slavery (more about that in a bit) means, "the state is doing this or sanctioning that and we want the state to stop."
I've been working on a sort of Quaker-Underground Railroad-Steampunk story, and in the process have been reading about Quaker history, their attitudes toward slavery, and how they saw their own leadings. They (and others) were the abolitionists of their time.Thomas Garrett, one of the most well-known "conductors," is said to have worked “without concealment and without compromise,” even though what he was doing put him at risk of criminal and civil proceedings. (In a famous 1848 trial that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe, he and fellow Quaker John Hunn were convicted of aiding fugitive slaves and fined so severely that Garrett was forced to sell his iron and hardware business along with his personal property at auction. Friends purchased Garrett’s property, allowing him to use it and buy it back when he could. And then, of course, he went right on doing what he had been.) (Garrett was also an ally of Harriet Tubman, who used to hit him up for money for shoes for escaping slaves.)
Early Quakers (and contemporary ones) considered equality a spiritual testimony, a fundamental religious tenet. From a 1836 Address" from Farmington Quarterly Meeting to Quakers in Western New York: "A mere theoretical belief in Christ is of no avail. Living faith calls for the exercise of active virtues. The practical Christian... considers all mankind... as his brethren, and himself under solemn obligations to use all in his power to ameliorate the condition of his fellow men, of every color and every condition in life.... When a plain and positive duty is enjoined, no excuses... can shield us from responsibility."
For me, death penalty abolition work has somewhat of the same quality, which is that the motive force is not academic but personal. I'm not interested in giving a lecture on how capital punishment has failed to deter violent crime. I am, on the other hand, inspired to talk about my own healing journey and the crucial aspect of letting go of bitterness, of turning away from revenge and retaliation. I'm not prescribing what worked for me for anyone else. On the other hand, I'm not giving anyone else the privilege of passing judgment on my own experience, either. This has the effect of creating a space of safety and solidity for me, which in turn makes it easier for me to speak from my heart. Considering how many others are screaming at each other, or pontificating based on the illusory need to appear "tough on crime," or out of bigotry, this opportunity to be tender and authentic could be a very good thing.
We'll see how it goes.
I've been working on a sort of Quaker-Underground Railroad-Steampunk story, and in the process have been reading about Quaker history, their attitudes toward slavery, and how they saw their own leadings. They (and others) were the abolitionists of their time.Thomas Garrett, one of the most well-known "conductors," is said to have worked “without concealment and without compromise,” even though what he was doing put him at risk of criminal and civil proceedings. (In a famous 1848 trial that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe, he and fellow Quaker John Hunn were convicted of aiding fugitive slaves and fined so severely that Garrett was forced to sell his iron and hardware business along with his personal property at auction. Friends purchased Garrett’s property, allowing him to use it and buy it back when he could. And then, of course, he went right on doing what he had been.) (Garrett was also an ally of Harriet Tubman, who used to hit him up for money for shoes for escaping slaves.)
Early Quakers (and contemporary ones) considered equality a spiritual testimony, a fundamental religious tenet. From a 1836 Address" from Farmington Quarterly Meeting to Quakers in Western New York: "A mere theoretical belief in Christ is of no avail. Living faith calls for the exercise of active virtues. The practical Christian... considers all mankind... as his brethren, and himself under solemn obligations to use all in his power to ameliorate the condition of his fellow men, of every color and every condition in life.... When a plain and positive duty is enjoined, no excuses... can shield us from responsibility."
For me, death penalty abolition work has somewhat of the same quality, which is that the motive force is not academic but personal. I'm not interested in giving a lecture on how capital punishment has failed to deter violent crime. I am, on the other hand, inspired to talk about my own healing journey and the crucial aspect of letting go of bitterness, of turning away from revenge and retaliation. I'm not prescribing what worked for me for anyone else. On the other hand, I'm not giving anyone else the privilege of passing judgment on my own experience, either. This has the effect of creating a space of safety and solidity for me, which in turn makes it easier for me to speak from my heart. Considering how many others are screaming at each other, or pontificating based on the illusory need to appear "tough on crime," or out of bigotry, this opportunity to be tender and authentic could be a very good thing.
We'll see how it goes.
