As long as this broader movement insists on using phrasing that is divisive, requires explanation AND the redefinition of words, it's just going to create division, a lack of understanding and more problems. Phrases like "Black Lives Matter" and "White Privilege" are divisive whether they intend to be or not. It makes people reflexively defensive. And then phrases like "defund" the police are used when it doesn't mean that at all. This sort of thing seems more intentional than an accident of decentralization especially when large portions of it are not decentralized at all. For better or worse, the English language works a certain way. "Black Lives Matter" implies other lives don't or that you have no opinion on them. I know that's not the intent but that's the English language. That's why the reflexive response is so often "All Lives Matter". Don't even get me started on the phrase "white privilege". And for the record "defund" means "prevent from continuing to receive funds." Decentralized or not, BLM and associated groups really need to work on their messaging. "Black Lives Matter Too"...there, just made one of the phrases 1,000% better...
Want to demilitarize the police and reduce funding. Great! But if you just want to funnel that back into other types of government workers with authority then what's the point? No thanks.
We live in an overpoliced society. While it affects everyone, black communities are hit hardest because they are, on average, more poor. Poor communities have more crime, more drug problems, etc. Higher crime communities are going to have a greater police presence. A greater police presence results in more crimes being caught, more interaction with police, etc. It's a vicious cycle because having a criminal record makes it that much harder to break the cycle of poverty. Eliminating victimless crimes might help at least some. Unless we can address the root cause of that (poverty in black communities), reducing police department funding isn't going to change the lopsided statistics (though it may reduce police violence and killing overall). I don't think this is about racism by police. I mean, I don't doubt that there are individual police officers who are racist and even the occasional police department that might have those views institutionalized but I just don't think that is common or at least not on a scale large enough to create such lopsided statistics.
You say that when black people are killed there is no outrage but what is one example of a white, asian, etc. person being killed and riots erupting? The issue isn't that there is outrage when whites are killed and none for blacks. The issue is that people aren't outraged enough that the police often get away with murder. Police Brutality Matters.
I am neither entirely in agreement or disagreement with you. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your comment.