LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Police budgets should be cut
It’s been a long time coming — through 400 years of slavery and Jim Crow and the ongoing pandemic — of racism. But now defunding the police and other anti-violence measures that youth activists with Freedom Inc. have worked for are not “radical rhetoric” as Daniel Bice termed them in his column (“Protest group receives tax dollars,” June 3).
Freedom Inc.’s proposed solutions are happening. In response to the lynching of George Floyd and dozens of other killings of black people by police, there has been a nationwide uprising. Rev. Al Sharpton made the demand simple: “Get your knee off our necks.”
Calls to defund, downsize or abolish police departments are gaining new traction, with advocates arguing that many police tasks would be better left to others. The University of Minnesota has defunded the police on campus. The Minneapolis School Board has severed ties with the police department.
It’s a moment of transformation and hope. It’s a moment of new anti-violence solutions. Police budgets must be cut. Let’s reimagine public safety now.
Janet Parker
Madison
Amid violence, police are needed
I totally support protesting police brutality and Black Lives Matter. However, we can all advocate for federal and local laws to reduce police immunity, enact a federal registry of police brutality, require cameras, outlaw tear gas and rubber bullets, require extensive racial sensitivity training and increased psychological screening for recruits, embed professional conflict resolution experts for mental health and domestic violence calls.
We cannot ever live with defunding our police in such a violent, unequal society caused by the wealthiest constantly cutting their obligation to pay just taxes to deal with severe social problems.
Dorothy Sherman
Greendale
In defense of protesters
In a letter to the editor on June 7, Amy Hemmer’s white privilege was on full display “hypocrisy in protests”).
For Hemmer to write that the death of George Floyd is an “excuse” for protesting, she is woefully oblivious to the systemic racism people of color have been experiencing ever since the first black person set foot on this land.
The peaceful protesters, many of whom were wearing masks, were not the ones setting fires, looting and attacking the police. Many reports have indicated the bad actors — provocateurs — were the ones committing the violence to make the peaceful protesters look bad.
However, the people I saw in Waukesha County who were protesting for haircuts, manicures and to play golf (no rights were being violated), were neither wearing masks nor practicing social distancing. A sharpshooter on a rooftop (to protect whites) isn’t the same as police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.
Hemmer needs to educate herself on systemic racism and understand that ‘safer at home’ did not equate to ‘locked at home’.
Jan Barkby
Thank police for protecting us
I thank the policemen and women that have been under so much scrutiny lately. It’s time we give them credit for the great job they do protecting us and our property.
So thanks again to all you. Keep up the good work.
Spencer Thomason
Pewaukee
Stop protecting bad officers
While this issue has persisted since the Rodney King era, nothing has changed.
The few reckless outliers give all cops a bad name. You would think that the rank and file would realize this, yet they continue to protect “their own” based on “the code.” Police unions must give up some of their power that is now used to protect bad cops. Mayors and city councils have to push for this.
The police can currently act without fear of any real consequences. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was a repeat offender with numerous past complaints and “disciplinary actions”.
If there was a shorter path to termination, George Floyd would still be alive and no destruction would have occurred.
Police unions must cede some of their power or the riots and destruction will continue.
David Peterson
Please email your letters to jsedit@jrn.com, or mail them to Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, P.O. Box 371, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201-0371. Letters should be about 200 words.