Call it Defund the Police or call it something else ... it's still the right thing to do.

[PTWB]

Here are some truths:

1. We have limited resources and limited budgets.
2. Police departments account for huge portions of municipal budgets.
3. Policing is largely ineffective at preventing crime and we cannot incarcerate our way to safer communities.

We must reallocate police funding to social programs that work on treating addiction, housing the homeless, and feeding the hungry.

On a national level we must enact single payer healthcare or Medicare for All, ensuring that everyone has access to mental healthcare whenever they may need it.

We also must enact progressive policies that limit the wealth disparity and eliminate chronic poverty.

These changes to our society will greatly reduce the need for police in the first place by treating the societal diseases that are responsible for crime in the first place.

[Demsrule86]

1. Actually, call it something else or the GOP will take over and nothing will be achieved.

[LenaBaby61]

8. "Actually, call it something else"

This ☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻

[Demsrule86]

10. Thank you. No one should use that phrase...it helps the GOP.

[PTWB]

13. I can think of a better way.

[Demsrule86]

17. Do tell...a better way?

Not being snarky...not sure what you mean but it sound interesting.

[SoFlaBro]

20. There is no better way.

Rename the movement so that we can get rid of all repukes by one way or the other.

[mchill]

2. Why is this unfortunate phrase "defund the police" popping up on the net everywhere today?

Why is this unfortunate phrase “defund the police” popping up on The net everywhere today?

I thought only the GOP coordinated talking points like this.

[RandiFan1290]

21. trump lost and the trolls are still trying to divide us. nt

[Autumn]

26. This from a closed door meeting Biden had with civil right leaders.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9039555/Biden-tells-civil-rights-leaders-defund-police-beat-living-hell-us.html

J

oe Biden told civil rights leaders, according to a Thursday report, that the 'defund police' slogan was the reason Democrats experienced widespread losses in congressional races across the country on November 3.

'That's how they beat the living hell out of us across the country, saying that we're talking about defunding the police,' Biden said during a two-hour closed-door meeting with civil rights leaders on Tuesday, according to audio of the meeting obtained by Bad News.

More progressive factions of the Democratic Party have embraced the movement to defund law enforcement, which gained popularity over the summer following George Floyd's death.

[cwydro]

3. So we should applaud the departments refusing to enforce mask rules, correct?

Hardly something they should waste time with, right?

[Biophilic]

9. No, because the way the system is set up right now that's appropriate.

And it's a stupid waste of time for these people. We have thrown everything at the police - the good, the bad, and the indifferent - hoping they would solve most of our problems. The 40 year war on drugs is a perfect example. What a waste of people and money.

Why do we think only simplistic solutions will work? It does take a community to make a community safe and whole. That means we all have to be part of the solution. Unfortunately, many of us - and I'm lifting my arm reluctantly - have stepped back hoping someone else would do the work.

Not going to happen. I honestly don't know if we have the will to do the right thing. We really are,spoiled. And I say that as one of the spoiled.

[handmade34]

4. NO!, don't call it "defund the police"

we need to be a whole lot smarter about words and how we let Republicans frame the narrative... we, here, know what it means but there are a lot of people that communicate much differently than we do and our message is too important to be lost on them

[Thomas Hurt]

5. If it were being done by the GOP they would call it fiscally responsible and smaller gov't.

[Blues Heron]

6. I think drug testing all cops would be a start

random drug tests because they have guns and must be CERTIFIED drug free.

Remove all evidence lockers from police control so they can't get their hands on the drugs so easily.

Get rid of cop culture crap like shaved heads and wraparound shades, tattoos etc. Professional haircuts, well groomed etc.

[redstateblues]

7. Messaging matters if you want to change things

This slogan will continue to lose elections and nothing will change

[oswaldactedalone]

11. Completely right

STOP THIS NOW!!!

[bullimiami]

12. i dont think its the funding. its the fundamentals. they are supposed to "serve and protect" but

somewhere along the way they decided we serve them and the protection is doled out as a favor.

[Hortensis]

14. Lots of municipalities already have, to a full range of degrees.

The one I'm personally somewhat familiar with is a red county in Florida. Social workers, not armed law enforcement officers, respond to nonviolent situations like a homeless and/or mentally ill person found sleeping behind someone's crepe myrtle. They don't arrest or drop off in a more "suitable" area, they plug the person into the county support systems for shelter, employment assistance, mental evaluation, etc.

Again, a red county. Fortunately, those who made it happen didn't have to deal with agitators turning it into a big left v left v right political battle. Or hypocritically turn a term into a flaming flag to battle over instead of making good change happen.

[Crunchy Frog]

15. Can't do anything if you can't get enough good people elected.

[Gothmog]

16. This slogan cost us races that we should had wnn

Link to tweet

[gulliver]

18. Calling it "defund the police" is immoral, if what you are proposing is moral. (And I think it is.)

When one calls it "defund the police," they cause the morally good changes to be less likely to happen. Ergo, to do so is to be immoral, good intentions or not.

[PTWB]

19. It got people talking about the idea. Once the idea enters the public

conscious, we can drill down and work on improving the messaging. It wasn’t long ago that ideas like gay marriage and marijuana legalization were seen as radical.

[Ms. Toad]

22. It's still the right thing to do is actually the problem.

**You** mean reallocate resources, and spend in a way to reduce the need for police (without actually abolishing the police)

**Others** actually mean take all the money away from the police (and abolish them).

There is a wide variety of what "it" actually is. Some of what people mean by "it" is absolutely the right thing to do - what some others mean is not so much the right thing (and is precisely what scares people when they hear the slogan, "defund the police."

[Brainfodder]

23. Fund the police properly so they don't have ticket quotas!

Gets rid of their aggression for $ activities.

Raise taxes if needed, this is essential services and should be treated with a shit ton more respect, on all sides.

NEXT....

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. Is "Defund the Police" the start of the 2022 primaries?

I guess now is as good a time as any.

[Autumn]

25. If party leadership didn't like the term "defund the police" that the protesters started perhaps

they should have come up with something better. It's a fact that their funding needs to be cut and programs that will save lives should be funded.