Embedded Files
Minute on Death Penalty Action
Minute on Death Penalty Action
At its Business Meeting on November 10, 2024, Meeting approves the following Minute:
Santa Monica Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers) is grounded in the belief that there is that of God in everyone and thus the taking of life is abhorrent to us. Because of this belief, the Meeting signs and endorses the letter to President Joseph R. Biden regarding the federal and military death penalty, presented by Rev. Sharon Risher and Death Penalty Action.
The 'Sign-on' letter regarding the death penalty is available (President Biden: Commute the Row, Abolish & Demolish the Death Penalty - Action Network ) and reads as follows:
Dear Mr. President:
We write to you today with renewed concern and urgency. President-Elect Donald Trump’s stated plan is to execute all remaining prisoners on the federal death row. It is vital that you deny him that opportunity by commuting every death sentence remaining on federal and military death rows.
We are grateful that under your administration there have been no additional executions of federal prisoners. As you are aware, this abhorrent and outdated punishment raises profound concerns, including the arbitrariness of its application, its inherent racial bias, and the alarming rate of innocence among those sentenced to death.
The good news is that it is not too late to act decisively. We urge you to exhibit leadership to make federal executions impossible in the next administration by taking the following immediate actions:
● Immediately commute the sentences of those currently on federal and military death rows;
● Deauthorize all pending federal capital trial cases and establish guidelines prohibiting authorization of any new death penalty prosecutions during your administration;
● Rescind the lethal injection protocol; rescind the “Manner of Execution”
regulation that took effect in December 2020; rescind internal DOJ guidelines on litigating death row cases that took effect in December 2020;
● Order the Federal Bureau of Prisons to demolish the federal execution chamber and the building in which it is housed at the Federal Correctional Institution at Terre Haute;
Ending the federal and military death penalty is not only an important step toward correcting myriad flaws in the criminal legal system in the United States, it is both good governance and a moral imperative. We will continue to work toward that goal. We and a burgeoning number of our partner organizations around the country and internationally stand ready to support you in your leadership toward a more just United States.
Thank you for your immediate action.
Sincerely,
Rev. Sharon Risher
Chair, Death Penalty Action
Daughter of Ethel Lance, whose killer is a prisoner on Federal Death Row
Minute on War in Gaza
Minute on War in Gaza
Statement by the Santa Monica Friends (Quaker) Meeting
We believe there is that of God in each person and therefore promote peace.
The recent war in Gaza, since October 2023, has resulted in horrific suffering for countless human beings.
With others, we call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, greatly increased humanitarian aid, and diplomatic negotiations toward a just peace.
Minute 2024-03-02: Santa Monica Monthly Meeting approves the above Minute that calls for an immediate and permanent cease fire in Gaza.
Minute on Income Inequality, Economic Justice, and Social Justice
Minute on Income Inequality, Economic Justice, and Social Justice
Meeting approves the following Minute on Income Inequality, Economic Inequality and Social Justice, noting our desire to share it widely, and acknowledging the discernment involved in preparing it:
Friends (Quakers) believe that there is a divine spark in everyone, and on that basis we believe in the equality of all people. That belief leads us to create community among ourselves, foster community in the broader society and promote equal justice and equal opportunity.
We find that the laws, tax structure, and regulations of our society now disproportionately favor and reward the few, while disproportionately impoverishing the many. Wealthy special interests have used their resources and access to influence politics, the courts and regulatory agencies to redistribute wealth to enrich themselves at the expense of the middle class and the poor, who now experience declining wealth, declining earning power and declining levels of education. Our society now experiences rising poverty, homelessness, mental illness, drug addiction and environmental degradation. These factors in combination result in the weakening of our democratic institutions and our social fabric. We also find that this inequity is reversible, with correction of the tax codes, regulations, laws, and political reform.
We call on Friends to teach themselves and others about the truth of economic inequality. We call on Friends, people of other faiths and people of good will to recognize the need to change our tax code, our regulations, and our electoral processes to restore our social safety net and our educational systems to create a more just, healthier and more sustainable society based on principles of equality and respect for our fellow human beings. We call on Friends, people of other faiths and people of good will to work to reduce income inequality in our society by supporting actions that redistribute the fruits of our economy more broadly and equitably in order to build a stronger, more just, more rewarding and more stable society.
Economic inequality is at the root of many of social ills we now see. We seek to reduce income and wealth disparity, while recognizing that success in doing so will not cure all social ills. Our goal is to reduce economic stress in our society to the point that people of modest means may lead happy, productive lives and realize their God-given potential. We seek to restore the social fabric and respect for the inherent dignity of all.
Our goal reflects our Quaker testimonies on simplicity, equality, peace, community and integrity.
Minute approved by Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business, Santa Monica Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends, December 11, 2016
Minute to End Immigrant Child Separation and Incarceration
Minute to End Immigrant Child Separation and Incarceration
18-06-01: As Quakers, we are called to treat our fellow human beings with the utmost respect, dignity and care, including those with whom we disagree strongly. This does not mean, however that we will remain silent when acts of great harm are committed by the most powerful against the most vulnerable. We will not remain silent when God, or any sacred justification, is invoked to support such actions.
As people of faith, we call for an immediate end to the practice of removing children from their parents because their parents have attempted to enter the United States, regardless of whether that entry constitutes a misdemeanor under U.S. law. We call for immediately reuniting children and parents already separated. We call for an immediate end to the incarceration of children, with or without their parents. And we call for an end to any and all practices that treat any immigrating individuals as "less than" or "other," or that treat them with hostility and cruelty.
We commit to actively working with all those striving to ensure that our immigration policies reflect the best of ou shared humanity and are grounded in the compassionate application of the principle of "liberty and justice for all.
Minute approved by Meeting for Worship on the Occasion of Business, Santa Monica Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends, June 24, 2018
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