You want to abolish WHAT?

Okay, so basically I’m a fascist. Or at least it seems like it, because I don’t think I’ve ever been surrounded by so many people that are so far left of me…so far left that if they take one more step they’re going to come full circle and become republicans. That said, they’re all brilliant and dedicated people who know incredible amounts of information about the people they help- and not just in a statistical way. I’ve only been working at SAN for a week, but the people who work here are actually connected to the people they fight for. I suppose that’s the best thing about working for a CBO, you can actually learn about the issues that are affecting real people. I like that I’m not just filing and shredding. I like that I actually care about the work that I’m doing, and that I’m writing and thinking about things that are important to people, and important to me. But I don’t like the feeling that arises when you watch people getting screwed over and over again while the institutions that are supposed to protect us do nothing or actually worsen the situation. You lose all faith. I think I’ve always been a romantic; call me naive but despite all the crap that goes on in this country I’ve always believed that there exists a potential for justice. So I was more than a little surprised when the people around me began talking about abolishing PRISON (which i get, but disagree with), and the evil that is all policemen. okay, it makes sense when members of your community are getting the crap kicked out of them by cops or you finally make the link that most of the people in prison are people of color. But the solutions just don't make sense to me. So now I'm both naive and a realist. What can i do? pay attention and actually understand the harsh reality of things, without letting it make me a cynic. At least, not today.