The right-wing, and apparently Joe Biden too, is misunderstanding, perhaps deliberately, the phrase, "defund the police" No one, except anarchists, wants a modern society without functioning police. What the slogan encompasses are policies to remove funding for military equipment and "warrior" police tactics and give funds to social services and non-armed community intervention programs. US Person is aware of a recent circumstance in which such a new system could work. A Midwestern family of siblings is experiencing discord over a probate estate. They are unable to agree on distribution of family assets because of a legal issue. During an argument at the former family home, a sister becomes fearful of escalation and calls the local cops. No cop in his right mind wants to become involved in a family domestic argument, especially when no violence is involved. Fortunately, the responding cops in this case de-escalated the verbal altercation without incident. The siblings are fortunate, and white. What would have happened if they were black? A black man is 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than a white man, and black women are one and a half more likely than white women.
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| slave patrollers |
"dominating" force, what if trained social and mental health workers were dispatched to mediate the dispute, or suggest community resources and possible resolutions with distraught family members? If the social services team could not handle the situation, or it was deteriorating towards violence, police could be called for back up. The point is the police generally react in one way: physical, potentially lethal force, and armed intimidation, which often is not what the situation warrants. Not surprising, since the genesis of policing in this nation is in part the fear of slave revolts and runaways, that has metamorphosed into fascistic "law and order" bullshit® from sociopathic, white opportunists.
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| When leaders are fake.... |