At least one U.S. Representative who has backed the “defund the police” movement is clarifying that “defunding” means a 100% reduction in police spending.
Due to the Left’s remarkable inability to use precision in language, there’s been some debate over what “defund the police” actually means. Some liberal pundits playing defense for the Democrat Party like to claim that “defund” simply means repurposing police funding to other services. Others like Alexandra Ocasio Cortez have explicitly refuted those claims by saying that by “defund the police” literally means “defund the police.”
And her fellow squad member Rashida Tlaib is echoing that following the shooting of Duante Wright during a traffic stop outside Minneapolis. The officer reportedly meant to grab a taser and instead shot Wright with a gun (a narrative that does appear to be backed up by the video footage of the incident).
Nonetheless, Tlaib took this as an opportunity to push more of the terrible policies she wants while racializing an incident where there is no evidence of racism.
Tlaib alleged in a Twitter post on Monday night that the death of Daunte Wright “wasn’t an accident” as she appeared to call for an end of policing.
In the post, Tlaib indicated that the police system should be ended because it could not be reformed as it is “inherently [and] intentionally racist.”
The progressive lawmaker also appeared to equate policing with “government funded murder.”
It wasn't an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist.
Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder.
No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) April 12, 2021
It’s bizarre (but expected) to see this incident racialized, as it’s not like this is the first time someone had been shot when an officer mistook a taser for a gun.
How do we know the #DaunteWright shooting has anything to do with race or racism (systemic or otherwise)? Easy — we really don't.
Why are people *determined* to believe this in the absence of evidence? That's a more complicated question to answer.https://t.co/zWtSEr4Z2s pic.twitter.com/hXFmLrX2Ix
— Kmele 🖐 (@kmele) April 13, 2021
Back in February, Tlaib cried on the house floor during a taxpayer-funded therapy session following the January 6th capitol siege, saying that she worries every day for her life. Would she be prepared to disband the capitol police protecting her? Probably not.
This call from Tlaib represents a major inconsistency from the left in when a tragedy is a call for action. An attack from an Islamic extremist will always be met with a reminder not to generalize all Muslims, while an accident from a police officer brings about calls to abolish the entire profession.
Perhaps the towns in Tlaib’s district can abolish their police departments as a test – but it would be one we don’t need. Cities that defunded their police departments saw an explosion in violence last year, and some have already reversed on their defunding. If that’s what defunding does, who in their right mind would want to test abolition?
Matt Palumbo is the author of Dumb and Dumber: How Cuomo and de Blasio Ruined New York, Debunk This: Shattering Liberal Lies, and Spygate
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