The murder of George Floyd — a Black man in handcuffs not resisting arrest — by a White Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day was a horrific crime that understandably outraged Americans of every race. But tragically, demands by some to defund or disband police departments around the nation will only lead to increased crime and the loss of more innocent lives, including Black lives.
Already, serious crime is skyrocketing in a number of cities, as criminals take advantage of attacks on police to step up their activity.
From June 29 to July 5, there were 85 shooting incidents and 27 murders in Chicago alone, with most occurring on the city’s predominantly African American South Side. Over the 28-day period ending July 5, there were 388 shootings in Chicago citywide — an increase of 76 percent compared to the same period in 2019 — and 95 murders.
Of course Black lives matter. The best thing we can do to show that is to focus on alleviating poverty through proven reforms like enhancing school choice, investing in job training, reforming welfare programs and helping police departments become more effective while also holding them accountable when they violate Americans’ rights.
But none of these policies would move our country closer to socialism, so the Black Lives Matter leadership team — which is composed of numerous “trained Marxists” — isn’t interested. Instead, BLM leaders argue it would be better to tear down as many existing American institutions as possible, the police first among them, regardless of the consequences to Black families.
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