Black Lives Matter BloNo said Wednesday it was disappointed in a social media post from the McLean County Democrats that called for reframing the “Defund The Police” debate away from the word defund.
The Democratic Party’s original post at 6 a.m. Wednesday was an infographic with the words, “Defund the Police” crossed out, replaced with terms like Retrain, Redefine, and Transform. It called for a reframing of the argument about reallocating resources into mental health services, health care, community service programs, and education.
“Words have weight. They are powerful. We will use them to make our request known,” the Democrats said.
A few hours later, the Black Lives Matter BloNo organization shared a post in which it expressed disappointment in the Democrats’ message.
“The McLean County Democrats would rather call for redefining the police than defunding the police. It is a shame the rallying cry of Black-led organizations across the country to defund the police is not deemed worthy of overt support by the local McLean County Democrats,” BLM BloNo posted. “The goals seem to be the same when it comes to reallocating resources. The problem seems to be the word ‘defund.’ History has taught us that a level of discomfort is necessary to effect change. If people are uncomfortable with the word ‘defund,’ it is an opportunity to develop understanding through dialogue. Running away from discomfort is a disservice to all.”
“We demand defunding the police and we mean it,” BLM BloNo wrote.
The McLean County Democrats then shared a revised version of the infographic. The crossed-out “Defund the Police” was replaced with “Defund the Police?” with a question mark. The phrase “Reframe the Argument” was changed to “Understand the Argument.” Instead of “Redefine ≥ Equal,” it now says “Redefine / Defund.”
The Democrats included a statement that accompanied the revised graphic: “The McLean County Democrats will continue to listen to and work alongside community partners and advocates, as it is the only true way to invoke real change. Here is where we stand on the issue."
The McLean County Democrats and Black Lives Matter BloNo will come together for an "in-depth conversation" at 7 p.m. Monday on Facebook Live.
Black Lives Matter BloNo is expected to release a detailed list of policy demands at an event Friday marking Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The priorities were discussed at a recent event at Miller Park.
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