Presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden acknowledged his belief that there is systemic racism embedded in law enforcement and other aspects of the country’s institutionalized way of life.
The former vice president affirmatively stated, “Absolutely,” after he was asked by CBS Evening News‘s Norah O’Donnell if he believes there is “systemic racism in law enforcement,” on Tuesday.
“Absolutely, but it’s not just in law enforcement, it’s across the board. It’s in housing, and it’s in education, and it’s in everything we do. It’s real. It’s genuine. It’s serious,” Biden replied. “Look, not all law enforcement officers are racist. My lord, there are some really good, good cops out there. But the way in which it works right now is — we’ve seen too many examples of it.”
Biden also reiterated his stance against the recent “defund the police” movement, which more leftist Democrats have backed.
“No, I don’t support defunding the police. I support conditioning federal aid to police, based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honorableness. And, in fact, are able to demonstrate they can protect the community and everybody in the community,” he said.
Biden’s stance falls in line with the likes of South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
There are some disagreements within the liberal movement about what the “defund the police” mantra would look like in practice. Some have said it should mean a reallocation of police funding, arguing that law enforcement officers should have a smaller scope of responsibilities, and some of their funding should be put toward other programs, such as housing, job creation, and social services in marginalized communities.
Others, however, are seeking to abolish police forces altogether.
