"It’s Time to Reform the Criminal (In)justice System", 4 May 2017

Our values drive everything we do... they define us and inspire us... We’ve—loudly—supported many causes... [:] marriage equality and LGBTQ rights, equality, climate justice, and racial justice. [N]one of us... can be considered free if the rights of anyone anywhere are being trampled or denied. Each one of us is obligated to speak up when we see injustice. And that’s why we’re speaking up now. America incarcerates people at [a] rate higher than any other country. This ruins lives, in particular...of people of color, but...[of] our whole society... [C]hange is long overdue. [W]hat looks like injustice to some is...a money-making opportunity to others... it is predicted there is $78 billion dollars associated with locking up people who haven’t even been committed...The statistics are damning... [and] implicit bias kicks in early.. Many states won’t let felons ever vote again... Racism was built in from the very beginning... So what can we do? [We] can stand with leaders like Rev. William Barber and Cornell Brooks, who are putting their bodies on the line to protest; [w]e can stand up for reform in our local communities; ...[j]oin movement builders such as Color of Change...