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Oversimplified, inflammatory statements like "defund the police" and "ACAB" gain a lot more traction composted to more measured statements like, "We believe in

Oversimplified, inflammatory statements like "defund the police" and "ACAB" gain a lot more traction composted to more measured statements like, "We believe in maintaining a secure society for everyone and not just certain preferred communities, which isn't possible with the current policing and social care system. We need massive, decisive, and prompt reform that doesn't involve funneling more and more of the city budget directly to the police dept, and if we can't have that then we'd rather re-start from the ground up and police ourselves than sit by while the situation worsens." Doesn't have the same ring, you know?

twblalock 5y ago
Those oversimplified phrases gain traction by provoking an emotional response, but that cuts both ways. "Defund the police" was very easy to interpret as "abolish the police." It was a gift to the other side of the argument, and to that side's candidates in the 2020 election. Overall it looks like it backfired as a slogan politically, and no major police departments have actually been reformed. If all your slogan achieves is making your own side feel better, while it alienates moderates and gives easy talking points to your opponents, it's a bad slogan and you shouldn't be proud of it.
oh_sigh 5y ago
How exactly is a community going to police itself? Look at the marches(if you can, they're rarely shown on any kind of media) every time a 5 year old is murdered from a stray drive by shooting bullet in chicago...thousands of people in the community come out against it, and...nothing happens.
- rpmisms 5y ago
  By your average person being dangerous. Put it this way, would you rather break into a Texas house or a California house?
- colinmhayes 5y ago
  As a Chicagoan I can assure you, the police aren't doing anything about it either. Everyone realizing that the police are stealing money from us is a large reason why defund the police is so popular. Lived here my entire life, met plenty of cops, have never found a single one to be pleasant let alone effective. Everyone you meet here has similar stories.

twblalock 5y ago

Those oversimplified phrases gain traction by provoking an emotional response, but that cuts both ways. "Defund the police" was very easy to interpret as "abolish the police." It was a gift to the other side of the argument, and to that side's candidates in the 2020 election. Overall it looks like it backfired as a slogan politically, and no major police departments have actually been reformed. If all your slogan achieves is making your own side feel better, while it alienates moderates and gives easy talking points to your opponents, it's a bad slogan and you shouldn't be proud of it.

oh_sigh 5y ago

How exactly is a community going to police itself? Look at the marches(if you can, they're rarely shown on any kind of media) every time a 5 year old is murdered from a stray drive by shooting bullet in chicago...thousands of people in the community come out against it, and...nothing happens.

rpmisms 5y ago
By your average person being dangerous. Put it this way, would you rather break into a Texas house or a California house?
colinmhayes 5y ago
As a Chicagoan I can assure you, the police aren't doing anything about it either. Everyone realizing that the police are stealing money from us is a large reason why defund the police is so popular. Lived here my entire life, met plenty of cops, have never found a single one to be pleasant let alone effective. Everyone you meet here has similar stories.