Biden turns his focus to gun violence as Democrats try to shed 'defund the police' label

[TheProle]

Source: CNN

(CNN)President Joe Biden visited New York City on Thursday after a spate of headline-grabbing violent crimes, hoping to turn the politically fraught issue of crime into a new focus on combating gun violence.

As Democrats grapple with how to tackle a problem that has been used against them by Republicans with some success in past elections -- and is shaping up to be a key issue in the midterms this fall -- Biden elevated his party's work and proposals to combat illegal guns onto the national stage.

The trip came amid a rash of high-profile shootings in major cities, including New York, and less than two weeks after two New York Police Department officers were fatally shot on the job. The trip is also taking place as several major American cities combat rising homicides and shootings -- 2020 saw the largest year-to-year spike in homicides on record, and some major cities recorded more homicides in 2020 or 2021 than in any other year on record.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/03/politics/biden-democrats-gun-violence-new-york-midterms/index.html

[mcar]

1. Biden, and most other Democrats, never ran on

defund the police. It was the actions of a few, who, with the gleeful help of Republicans, tarred all Democrats with the same brush.

[Moebym]

7. Agreed.

And we need to pay attention when losing candidates cite false accusations that they want to defund the police as a reason they lost.

It is not helpful when some among us refuse to recognize that "defund the police" is a losing message and that our candidates did not lose because they weren't left enough.

[JohnSJ]

9. Exactly.

[OldBaldy1701E]

11. Hear Hear! (n/t)

[Budi]

2. Consider that it was Trump who "Defunded the Police"

It should be a Right Wing Talking Point.

Never a Democratic slogan to campaign on, nor a mantra to vote against Police Benefits following the Jan 6 attack on our Capitol Police.

Thanks President Biden & Democrats. Detach our D from Trump's policy.
"Biden Requests $300 Million For Police That Trump Tried To Defund"
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216317483

[DanieRains]

3. After All The Criminals Are Behind Bars And Leaving To Work Programs We Can Then Defund The Police

Start with Wall Street criminals, crooked bankers (like anyone who loaned TFG money), money launderers for billionaires (thick as grass), crooked lawyers first. Then go after the rest.

Hopelessness leads to crime. Hopelessness is caused by the criminal element helping the 1% criminals suck everyone dry and leave zero crumbs for the rest of us.

[DanieRains]

4. Start By Locking Up These Assholes

Lock up these criminals? No, just poor people go to jail.

Beef giant JBS to pay $52.5M to settle price-fixing lawsuit

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142863733

[ripcord]

5. Maybe we should stop doing plea deals on gun crimes

People voted on sentencing enhancements for gun crimes but prosecutors choose not to use them and call it reform, we have the tools but for some reason we don't really want to hold people who use guns in crimes responsible.

[PSPS]

6. LOL. Sure, shed 'defund the police' label ascribed to it by the "liberal media."

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. "The answer is not to defund the police." -- President Biden

The Defund the Police slogan was so very very stupid. This slogan cost Democrats a number of seats in 2020. I am glad that we are not following this moronic slogan

Link to tweet

[groundloop]

10. SEE SEE SEE..... I KNEW Biden and the libruls were gonna' take away our gunz.

(of course it's sarcasm, and a healthy dose of disdain for GOPers).