Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio
Please don’t tell me you’re becoming one of those radical people calling for the abolition of public safety officers and law enforcement departments.
I would never consider such an insane idea. In fact, no reasonable person would even suggest something like that.
Wait. I thought this was one of those thinkpieces about abolishing the police. Am I in the wrong article?
No, you’re in the right place. I, along with many reasonably credible experts believe that it is time to abolish the police.
Wait … Are you off your meds? I know you have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but I just asked you a question about law enforcement and public safety two paragraphs ago and you called it a crazy idea.
Yes, it is a pretty bad idea. But we can talk about law enforcement and public safety another time. This article is about abolishing the police.
I’m confused. Aren’t we talking about the same thing?
No, we aren’t.
To police something is “to control, regulate, or keep in order” or “to supervise the operation, execution, or administration of to prevent or detect and prosecute violations of rules and regulations.” But, because of conditioning, most people assume the government entity that polices human being is synonymous with law enforcement, crime prevention and general public safety. It is not.
To be fair, it’s easy to understand why most people…
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