Alternatives to and variations on the slogan “Defund the Police,” because, let’s face it, it could use some improving, or at least some explanation and elaboration
Reduce Harm, Not People
Keep Your Racist Laws Off My Friends
Fund Schools, Not Prisons
Defund The Prison-Industrial Complex
Clog The School-to-Prison Pipeline With Love (And Resources For Underserved Communities)
Your Discomfort Is Not My Crime
All Children Deserve Care, Respect, Food, Shelter, Clothing, Education, Housing, Family, Love, Understanding, Opportunities, And Second Chances
Follow The Money, Not The “Criminal”
Survival Is Not Criminal
People Can’t Build Bridges If They’re Locked Up In Cages
A Mental Health Crisis Is Not A Crime
School Supplies, Not Military-Grade Weapons
Fund People, Not Prisons
Love Is The Answer, But Not The Only Answer
Handle With Care, Not Handcuffs
Systemic, Structural, Cultural, And Epistemic Violence Result In And Exacerbate Direct And Discrete Acts Of Violence By And Between Individuals
Violence Is A Public Health Issue
Police Are Traumatized Too; Let’s Give Them Some Time Off And Stop Expecting Them To Deal With Situations They’re Not Trained, Educated, Or Prepared For
Stop Using Tax Dollars To Defend The Indefensible Violence And Brutality Of Police Officers Against Civilians
Beware A Police Force Gone Rogue
Could We At Least Get Rid Of The Neo-Nazi, Racist, Fascist, White Supremacist Police Officers? Please? Pretty Please? Is That Really So Much To Ask? People In Other Professions Who Exhibit Racist And Violent Behavior Don’t Get To Hold Onto Their Jobs. They Get Fired. Otherwise It’s A Public Relations Nightmare.
Part 2
Police Are People, But People Make Mistakes, And Why Should Some People Have So Much Power Over Other People?
Power Corrupts
We Don’t Need A Monopoly On Violence
Please Take Your Foot Off My Neck
Whose Interests Do The Police Really Serve And Protect?
We Are All Victims Of Systems Beyond Our Control
Thinking Is The Best Way To Travel (The Moody Blues)
The Most Violent Element In Society Is Ignorance (Emma Goldman)
Crime Is Socially Constructed
Housing First
Prisons Are A Waste Of Human Talent And Potential
Universal Healthcare
Why Does The Government Want Its Citizens Terrorized?
Trauma and Exploitation Permeate Every Aspect Of Our Lives And Police And Prisons Do Absolutely Nothing To Alleviate Them
Behave In Such A Way So That The Police Are Unnecessary
Be A Law Unto Oneself
Do No Harm, But If You Must, Acknowledge And Repair The Harm That Was Done
We Are All Connected
You Can’t Sever The Symptoms Of Suffering
He Ain’t Heavy; He’s My Brother (Boys Town; The Hollies; etc.)
Respect Yourself (The Staple Singers)