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In reply to the discussion: re-the use of defund. [View all]Bernardo de La Paz
(49,001 posts)20. It's the ambiguous binary / non-binary nature of the word
A word like "defund" can mean either
1) Withdraw all funding of an institution, or
2) Withdraw some funding
My gut reaction on hearing "defund" used widely re police departments some weeks ago was it was to destroy, delete, and dead-end police departments.
And that is despite that I frequently encourage people to avoid binary all-or-nothing thinking. Hoist by my own petard. Or, more accurately, I am not immune to that which I warn against.
It was only a little bit later that someone made it clearer to me that it can mean reducing funding, say by 10%, not eliminating it entirely. A duh moment for me. There is merit, for example, to the idea of sending wellness professionals to do wellness checks instead of sending beefy police with guns and tasers and sunglasses and black boots and all.
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Then we want a refund. Or we want to refund the allocation. Anything but defund.
boston bean
Jun 2020
#50
Well, you don't like it. Are you a bad person for thinking it is not the right slogan?
boston bean
Jun 2020
#59
OK, everyone who yells at me when I say we Democrats need to work on our messaging, I repeat:
Squinch
Jun 2020
#10
You first. Because "defund" is certainly not that word. "Defund" is a word you use when you
Squinch
Jun 2020
#16
Benghazi is a word that keeps people's attention too. So what? Are you going to work that
Squinch
Jun 2020
#22
Really? I'm trying to have a conversation and you have nothing but this childishness.
Squinch
Jun 2020
#28
Defund is a bad word choice. No Democrat elected should use this term. We want to win in
Demsrule86
Jun 2020
#43