I understand why so many of us are lashing out on each other. I understand why the level of trash talking is rising high along with outrage for Trump and the horror show of his election. Having been involved in grassroots social justice efforts for most of my life, I know that when the ability to tangibly impact structural oppression feels so remote, and when that structural oppression is accelerating, many on the Left begin devouring ourselves, turning our efforts that seem to have little impact on structural oppression into critiquing each other and eventually, ourselves.

To truly end mass incarceration, we must give every person the chance to come home.

In this political climate, it becomes even more critical for all of us to ask the deepest of questions regarding the world we are working to create.

When you imagine a community with justice, who do you envision being part of that community? The community you dream—is it idealistic instead of realistic? 

Do you think of the people serving sentences in prison for the most complicated and heinous circumstances being welcomed into your neighborhood?

Shan Cretin has been General Secretary – the executive head – of the American Friends Service Committee since September 2010. Before this appointment Shan served as Director of the AFSC’s Pacific Southwest Region for seven years, where she was responsible for programs in Southern California, Hawai’i, Arizona, and New Mexico.  Those programs focus on several key social issues, including immigrants’ rights, prison reform, food security, peace, and demilitarization.

In addition to endorsing A Vision for Black Lives in September, the AFSC Board also endorsed a minute from the Fellowship of Friends of African Descent on state sanctioned violence.

President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he is considering "extreme vetting," a database, or a registry for Muslims or people from predominately Muslim countries. Carl Higbie, a former spokesperson for a pro-Trump super PAC, has cited Japanese internment during World War II as a precedent.

How would a registry work, and what can we do to stop it? Here’s what we're reading to learn more:

On December 1, a subcommittee of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) sent confusing messages to the world.

First they issued a report reviewing Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) use of private prisons. The report concluded that even though the management and oversight of private detention facilities is worse than public facilities, ICE would continue to use private prisons.

By Aniqa Raihan and Raed Jarrar

Two months ago, AFSC and 14 other organizations sent a letter to President Obama urging him to investigate the apparent extrajudicial killing of Palestinian-American teenager Mahmoud Shaalan by Israeli soldiers. The U.S. State Department wrote back last month expressing concern about the possible use of excessive force, but has not taken any action against Israel or the Israeli Defense Forces unit responsible for Mahmoud’s killing.