Hollywood movie mogul and actor Tyler Perry just defied the left to openly slam the “defund the police” movement. Perry even went so far as to say that “we need more police”. Of course, he’s already getting backlash for it.
"We need the police…" says director, producer and actor @tylerperry. "…But we need them reformed, we need them trained well and we need the right structure." pic.twitter.com/FY7W0v7pKg
— CNN (@CNN) July 30, 2020
Tyler Perry Initially Supported Police Reform
During an interview with CNN host Anderson Cooper, Perry said that he was initially onboard with the police reform movement in the wake of the death of George Floyd in May:
“So, when they saw George Floyd’s death, this horrific, horrible death played out as this man pleaded for his life and begged and said ‘please’ many, many times, it — seeing it changes everything. So I became very, very optimistic when everybody galvanized together because I know that’s when change comes. When people galvanize and come together as one, that’s when change happens.”
However, Perry has since become disillusioned with the “defund the police” movement. 2011’s ‘Highest Paid Man’ in entertainment thinks it has gone way too far.
Perry said:
“But, lately, I’ve been very, very concerned that the message is being hijacked by some other groups or political ads and parties that are trying to stop the message of what we’re asking for here as police reform, right? So, yeah, I was, but I’m worried now because of what I’m seeing.”
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Tyler Perry Blasts ‘Defund The Police’
Perry continued:
Well, when I first heard it, I was troubled by it, and I thought OK, this is — this is going to be weaponized by — in this political year. I completely thought that that was happening. That’s exactly what’s happened. It’s been weaponized.
But I did some research. And what I would challenge people to do is do research and find out what it means. Now, you’ve got to understand this — I’m not for taking money from the police department. I think we need more police. My studio is in a neighborhood where I think we need police.”
But we don’t need police that have — that are under-trained. And you’ve got to understand — I have really close friends who are police officers that I love dearly, who are really good people, who have been very, very hurt by this, as well.
And here’s what I want you to understand, Anderson, wrong — where there is wrong, I’m going to stand up against it. When Rayshard Brooks was murdered, I thought that was wrong. When George — George Floyd was murdered, I thought that was wrong, like so many other people.
But when a police officer who was white in a suburb in Atlanta was shot in the head by a shoplifter, I thought that was wrong, too, and I reached out to do what I can to help his family.
He Defends His Stance
Perry concluded by giving a heartfelt defense of why we need police officers in this country:
I think we need the police. I know that I need the police. I have several that work for me here at the studio. We need them, but we need them reformed. We need them trained well. We need the right structure, right?
But some of the things inside of defund the police, I really understand like having officers who are clinically trained to deal with certain situations. I think all of those things are helpful. But taking money from the police department to make the police department smaller, that troubles me.
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Tyler Perry Hit With Backlash
It’s incredibly rare to find anyone in Hollywood exercising this level of common sense these days, especially when it comes to the police.
Unsurprisingly, however, Perry is getting inundated with backlash from radical leftists who want to “cancel” him for daring to defend blue lives:
Tyler Perry will never be the solution y'all. pic.twitter.com/VFtvdy0pKN
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) July 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/IlIOcherokeelIl/status/1288819107165433856
Damn establishment liberals might as well be alt right fanatics. Time to start this & many societies over from the ground up & that includes abolishing the police, not just giving them a lil less money & more training or whatever.
— forest dweller 🏴 (@Freedom4HDP2017) July 30, 2020
Tyler, we are not asking for reform. We are asking for them to be defunded and abolished. You can keep your performative solidarity. We really don’t need it.
— Marie (@marie_chellie) July 30, 2020
Radical liberals may be “cancelling” Perry for this, but we applaud him for taking a stand for American police officers when they need it most.