I've been meaning to write this since @MicahHerskind's great essay on violence. But I don't have much time to write these days. So I want to just put it out there now.

Abolitionists are always asked, "what will you do about violence without cops and prisons?"

Abolitionists correctly tend to respond to this question in 2 ways: by attacking the premise and pointing to transformative justice (TJ). Both are fair and deserving responses. But I hope we can go further while adhering to these politics.

Studying abolition has taught me that I/we do not have "The Answer" of what will replace these institutions. Most likely, there isn't just one. It's taught me principles we can use to guide ourselves through difficult collective work that often begins with imagination.

In this spirit, I'm goin to respond to the question posed to abolitionists of "what do you do about violence w/o cops and prisons" by inviting the questioner into the work of answering it. While maybe not the most satisfying answer, I think it's important we try to do this more.

The truth is many are (and have been) tackling this question, but life and violence are messy and it's not conducive to a soundbite. TJ - as revolutionary as it is - is no panacea. Practitioners will tell you how messy and frustrating it can be. We need to discuss this more, IMO.

I wonder if abolitionist can disarm the fear that blocks imagination and draw more people in by inviting them to answer the question with us, instead of (often unintentionally) acting as though it's secret knowledge.