Following the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots in Minneapolis, members of the city council declared they would dismantle the city’s police department.Unsurprisingly, this policy has not worked out well for the city so far, and crime is on the rise. Who could have predicted such a thing?Now some members of the city council are backing away from this ridiculous policy.Lucas Manfredi reports at FOX News:
Some Minneapolis City Council members may regret pledge to dismantle police department: reportSome members of the Minneapolis City Council may have regrets regarding the controversial pledge to dismantle the city’s police department made after the death of George Floyd in May, according to a new report.After conducting interviews with multiple council members who voted to approve the pledge, the New York Times’ report reveals that the vow may not be as firm as previously thought.Council member Andrew Johnson, who supported the pledge in June, told the outlet that he meant the words “in spirit,” not by the letter. Meanwhile, Council member Phillippe Cunningham said the language in the pledge was “up for interpretation.”Council President Lisa Bender added that she believes the pledge “created confusion in the community and in our wards.”Some relatively moderate council members, like Linea Palmisano, chose not to take the pledge, telling the Times that the council has “gotten used to these kinds of progressive purity tests.”In a text message obtained by the Times, Palmisano outright objected to the move.“I’m not taking any pledge, if that means people throw bottles at me then fine,” Palmisano wrote.
Does everyone remember when the president of the Minneapolis City Council claimed that having police was a form of privilege?
In a just world, the city council would be dismantled.
Ed Morrissey of Hot Air lives in Minnesota and calls this “another reminder that sloganeering doesn’t replace actual governance.” Here’s more:
NYT: Minneapolis City Council’s Abolish-The-Police Mission Has “Collapsed”This outcome was entirely predictable, and for many who live in Minneapolis, a huge relief as well. The New York Times describes the collapse of the abolish-the-police mission by the city “a case study in how idealistic calls for structural change can falter.” It’s better described as yet another reminder that sloganeering doesn’t replace actual governance, and what happens when politicians react to activists rather than talk to their own constituents:
Over three months ago, a majority of the Minneapolis City Council pledged to defund the city’s police department, making a powerful statement that reverberated across the country. It shook up Capitol Hill and the presidential race, shocked residents, delighted activists and changed the trajectory of efforts to overhaul the police during a crucial window of tumult and political opportunity.Now some council members would like a do-over.Councilor Andrew Johnson, one of the nine members who supported the pledge in June, said in an interview that he meant the words “in spirit,” not by the letter. Another councilor, Phillipe Cunningham, said that the language in the pledge was “up for interpretation” and that even among council members soon after the promise was made, “it was very clear that most of us had interpreted that language differently.” Lisa Bender, the council president, paused for 16 seconds when asked if the council’s statement had led to uncertainty at a pivotal moment for the city.“I think our pledge created confusion in the community and in our wards,” she said.
Shortly after the city council called for disbanding the police, some members hired private security for themselves at taxpayer expense. What more would you need to know?
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