Dear Mr. VP,

Here’s what I imagine your card to Karen looked like:

Meanwhile, here’s what I’m doing to celebrate Mother’s Day: donating to National Mama’s Bail Out Day. 

Why? 

Moms who haven’t been convicted of any crime are stuck in jail simply because they can’t afford bail. Most of these folks are in jail for minor offenses, and if they were wealthy — or even middle class — they’d have made bail and been released immediately. Our system of cash bail is 1) classist, and 2) racist, since Black women are twice as likely to be jailed as white women. 

While at the federal level Jefferson Sessions is trying to roll back years of criminal justice system reform, at the local level we can demand rules and policies that keep prosecutors from asking for cash bail for misdemeanor and low-level offenses, and pressure judges to use their discretion and scrutinize bail amounts. Keeping folks who aren’t a danger to the community and haven’t been convicted of a crime locked away in cages and away from their families is inhumane. 

I could go on, or you could just watch this:

I’m going to spend my day with my kiddo today, and all mamas should have that same opportunity. And Happy Mother’s Day to Karen, and all the mamas in the world. May we raise our kids to be better to each other than we have been. 

D