'Defund the police' is a lousy slogan

[Amy-Strange]

Last edited Mon Jun 8, 2020, 06:05 PM - Edit history (1)

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Protesters need a better slogan than "defund the police."

Most people chanting "Defund the police!" don't actually want to eliminate police. Maybe some do — the mayor of Minneapolis, for example, was chased from a protest yesterday after saying he did not want to abolish police. But most people who say "defund the police," I think, just want police budgets reduced and the money instead invested in other emergency, health, and community services.

In some jurisdictions, this probably makes sense. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and other innocent Americans, as well as the absurdly aggressive police response to the current protests, show that militarized police often don't "serve and protect." Instead, they frequently shoot, gas, batter, choke, attack, and kill.

So reallocating a portion of police some budgets to more helpful and peaceful community services would be smart.

But eliminating police would be ludicrous.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/defund-the-police-is-a-lousy-slogan/ar-BB15cUKw?ocid=spartandhp

RELATED ARTICLE:

Calls to reform, defund, dismantle, and abolish the police, explained.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/calls-to-reform-defund-dismantle-and-abolish-the-police-explained/ar-BB15dfyB?ocid=spartandhp
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COMMENT: I don't think it's a lousy slogan, but it does seem to be misinterpreted by a lot of stupid people.
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[msongs]

1. defund take money away from, removed funding nt

[J_William_Ryan]

2. It is a lousy slogan.

The problem is that it’s a complex issue not given to ‘slogans.’

[xyoungblood]

3. Demilitarize the police is what they should be saying.

[soothsayer]

4. Positives: gets people talking, puts the police on notice

No, I don’t like it either, but it IS getting attention and getting “well not THAT, but maybe THIS” conversations going.

Plus, it might get police thinking “would they really do that?”

[Freddie]

5. I agree, it's an awful slogan

Red meat for Trumpies. “Reform the Police” instead.