Protests nationwide are questioning why so much is spent on policing.
Protest signs are meant to be provocative, but these were especially so: “Abolish the police.”
They showed up in San Diego and across the country over the past two weeks as thousands of Americans took to the streets to condemn the May 25 killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a white police officer who knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest over a counterfeit $20 bill.
As far-fetched as the protest signs seem, they are part of a growing national debate that’s moved beyond the usual calls for change — better training, more diversity, increased accountability — to openly question the fundamental purpose of police in society.
Are the officers guardians, or are they warriors?