Irrational Signage

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At the time of this writing, there is legitimate outrage over the death of George Floyd. If you have not watched the video, you can youtube that and make up your own mind as to whether the outrage is justified. I need to state at the outset that the birth defect (as Condi Rice says) on America that is slavery and segregation is being exposed at this moment and I have hope is that America will continue to progress toward equal treatment of all regardless of race. I had to clarify that because what I am about to say is targeted at the protesters who carry "Defund the police" signs, which even they must consider to be an utterly irrational response to injustices and systemic racism against Black Americans.

I will provide a cynical response to that completely irrational request. Funding pays police salaries. So all I can conclude is that you want police to work for free, with lower pay or you want them to not exist. If you want them to work for free, there may be examples out there of volunteer police departments that you can use as a model to advocate. Do they work? I have no idea. But you probably don't either, otherwise your sign would say "Make The Police Force Voluntary!" - If your intent is to pay police officers less, I am not sure what end that will achieve. I again don't think that is what you mean, because otherwise, your sign would say "Pay Police 45% less than their current salary!" - At least then it would show that you have put some basic mathematics behind your request. However, I do not think your intent was either of those, which I think means you want the police to not exist. If you are an anarchist, that makes complete sense and at least you are consistent in your values. In that case, you are in luck! Antifa Activists have created an autonomous zone in Seattle. https://www.city-journal.org/antifa-seattle-capitol-hill-autonomous-zone - It has no police, which is exactly the utopia you crave. It doesn't have any water. Or sewer...or food, or much of anything else, but you are clearly prepared to bring in chickens and collect rainwater to survive. I am rooting for you. If it works out, I may actually come vacation there whenever I grow tired of civil servants and public utilities.

Now that I have given a cynical answer, I will return to a more somber tone. I invite you to go listen to the Martin Luther King I Have A Dream speech. There is nothing being presented today that resonates with my soul as deeply as this oration. Nothing as elevating. As uniting. As powerful for moving me to action. I invite you to become inspired to do your part to heal race relations in America. 

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