Remember when people opposed the slogan ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’ and wanted to replace it with the more “inclusive” and “friendlier” sounding — yet tone-deaf — ‘ALL LIVES MATTER’ but instead of changing it, we put our foot down and explained what both phrases meant to people willing to learn, so now many understand what it means? Call me crazy but hear me out: Instead of bending backwards to find a slogan more “friendly” to attract potential voters, what if we tried doing the same with ‘DEFUND POLICE’ like we did with ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’?
It’s much simpler than you think it is and you don’t have to redirect people to an entire op-ed to explain it. They may not be as extensive or as on target, but try these:
- ‘DEFUND POLICE’ means to demilitarize law enforcement, which requires defunding.
- ‘DEFUND POLICE’ means to lessen the workload of struggling departments, abolish the most abusive ones, and demilitarizing the forces overall… all of which requires defunding.
- ‘DEFUND POLICE’ means to shrink the responsibilities of overburdened departments, which requires defunding.
- ‘DEFUND POLICE’ means reallocating budgets from overburdened law enforcement departments over to social programs to prevent the conditions that cause crime.
- ‘DEFUND POLICE’ means making society less reliant on policing by bettering our communities through social programs that target the causes of crime, which requires reallocating money from militarized police budgets.
If they want to know more, then go ahead and give them an article or two that explains further in detail. If they disagree with you, despite such direct explanations, then that’s their problem; they’ve made up their mind, there’s no winning them over and you’re wasting your time. Move on to the next.
Of course, some have said:
“Using DEFUND POLICE’ will make it easier for them to demonize the cause!”
Don’t worry about any deplorables or blue strippers who try to use it to tar and feather people who stand behind it. They’ll do it with anything, and I mean ANYTHING, that comes from anyone they don’t like. You can even call it, ‘SUPER HAPPY AMERICAN COP LOVE HAHA’, and they’ll still say that you want to go back in time and murder cops when they were babies. As with ‘BLACK LIVES MATTERS’, we must find ways to demystify and remove any stigma from ‘DEFUND POLICE’.
I know having to explain another social justice slogan is going to be annoying — so annoying that Democrats like Biden are running away from it — but you want to know what the alternative is going to be? Not looking like you have a spine, since NOT standing behind a good cause because something about it “doesn’t SOUND good” is a MUCH bigger turn off to potential voters. It’s pathetic. (Besides, slogans are the least of Biden’s worries. Hell, image is the least of Biden’s worries, considering the country’s justice system is only one festering apple of the full infested barrel. If G.W. Bush can win two terms, or many other unqualified incumbents could win multiple terms throughout the years due to how our electoral system is structured, don’t be surprised if that saggy, demonic pumpkin in the White House cheats his way to another term. I digress…)
The main thing is, I don’t want to continue hearing people like police chiefs, radio DJ’s and politicians whine about how, “Cops shouldn’t be defunded because they keep everyone safe! Stop demonizing cops! You just hate everything cops stand for!” because the people who know their arguments are BS, would rather divide a movement because they refused to stand by a simple phrase, out of fear and what is essentially laziness. If defending a phrase that is easy get behind and explain is enough to make you roll over and compromise, then you must not actually believe in this very important cause. For being so focused on the minuscule possibility of gaining an advantage, no marginalized community should ever consider you a true ally.
BLACK LIVES MATTER! DEFUND POLICE!
P.S.
Yes, I am pissed. Can’t you tell?
Thursday, Jun 18, 2020 · 9:18:35 PM +00:00 · TheLovingThinkingFighter
I’m going to try and make this clear:
This entry is about the need of those considered to be on the left sticking to their guns. I personally don’t care about alternatives to the slogan. I find ‘DEFUND POLICE’ to be fine as it is. You want an alternative, whatever, but you’re once again letting the right-wing control the narrative. They act like the phrase is toxic and you’re more than willing to play along and act like it is too. It’s a bad habit where we dwell on small things and hightail it or easily compromise on things because those on the right-wing start nitpicking. If we’re not willing to stand against an assault on something so small for the sake of POSSIBLY gaining just a few more votes, what other things are we willing to give up on just because we’re pushed a little?
To me, this seems almost like we’re preparing another excuse on why we end up losing the 2020 elections.
“Oh woe as us! It’s not that we didn’t stand our ground to protect the issues we said we championed, or that the fatal flaws of our national electoral process gave the incumbency an unfair advantage . Nay! It’s because we had people who preferred the slogan ‘DEFUND POLICE’ and it turned off the segment of the population who never really cared about the issues enough to begin with! Oh woe, woe, woe as us!”
The fact that I felt ticked off enough to even write this whole entry because people are so afraid of using a phrase because of what the right-wing would do, is absolutely ridiculous! I’ve been taught to stand up for what I believe in and take ownership of it. If others try to shame you for it, be proud in your defiance and others will join you.
Tl;dr:
If you still have faith in this electoral system, grow a spine and stand against right-wing bullies, or you can most certainly kiss any possibility of winning in November good bye!