NYT:
We had this discussion as a family a few days ago. Starting with the question of defunding the police. We have firefighters and EMTs in the family, and we all might see things differently because we are not on the front lines as they are. I would like to know what you think.
Would you want to have a list where you could sign up to have police protection, 911 response and have your money/taxes contribute to funding this?
Or would like to opt out and not pay money/taxes for these services? For example, say you needed an ambulance, or had a break-in, would you want help from the police and other services or not? Do you think this option would contribute to vigilanteism?
Do you believe the police should have a better wage than they presently do? Do you think they are well trained? Do you think the government should send in the National Guard and if so, do you think they are well trained?
Martin Luther King, Jr. said it well:
We have not come a long way as the majority professes. We need to do better. We can be better.
What do you think?
***
As someone who went to a park one night and woke up the victim of a serious crime – I am grateful for the NHS and the police and many other services.
I am not political, but I do obey laws and pay my taxes and appreciate the services governments provide that I have benefited from.
I do believe though that at every layer of society there have been injustices and corruption throughout mankind’s history. We go to museums and see thousands of years ago people have been crueling oppressing others. The pursuit of glory and wealth has had terrible byproducts – mistreating other people, animals and out planet.
Of course humans are not able to rule themselves successfully. Some will prosper and some will suffer. That has been the case for thousands of years. It is awful. I am too sleepy to analyze any single example of imjustices – but there are many as you know.
Many agree that injustice and corruption are rife, yet I think there may be more divisions over the solution to the record of humans dominating each other injuriously.
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Agreed
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Sorry, I just got here! I think that instead of defunding, putting more funding into better training and screening is a better route!
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And salaries. Ever see Chris Rock’s bad apples?
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I believe that defunding any police force is just about the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard of. It will only lead to chaos in the streets. Any history anywhere will prove that. That’s the same as saying that because a few people misuse the welfare system that the welfare system should be defunded. A few people defraud Medicare so Medicare should be defunded. The only people who will profit from this are the criminals.
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Thanks for commenting. I agree.
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Well, there are places where that already happens, so you can look to them to see the possible effects. I’m thinking S Africa, although I don’t really know enough.
I would predict that it will be very like a lot of other areas where the public sector shrinks – the private sector will take over. So, you can have a police force, if you can afford your subscription.
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Thanks for commenting. You’re the one and only🥴
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Yes I couldn’t help noticing that but it is an important issue. Not least, if you do away with enforcers, it makes making laws irrelevant.
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Agreed – big issue is old laws that need to be taken away, no longer relevant and enforcing the ones we have.
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