Yes, Defund the Police!

Published: June 5, 2020, 8:10 p.m.

Join my private FB group ___ After days of chaotic riots, we're finally starting to hear some actual policy proposals. One three-word phrase is picking up steam: defund the police. Now, this is a great chance for liberty-minded people to contribute something positive to the conversation. But first of all, let's be clear. Most of the people saying "defund the police" have no idea what that actually means. They're just saying something that sounds edgy. They're like parrots, repeating what they've been trained to say. However, that can work in our favor. Because "defund the police" sounds a lot like "privatize the police." Take away their public funds and force them to earn their own money. Conservatives, libertarians, and other reasonable, well-meaning people often make the same mistake: they make the perfect the enemy of the good. They spend too much time correcting people who are wrong--which has no persuasive value--and they don't spend nearly enough time affirming what people saying. Because it's a fact that the vast majority of us all want the same things. We want safe, peaceful streets. We want people to be healthy, wealthy, and comfortable. And we want bad cops to be treated like bad cops. So we must start from a position of affirmation and agreement. Once someone knows that we both want the same thing, they'll start to drop their guard. And that's when we can work together to create positive change in the world, rather than just voting for it.