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Will Donald Trump or Joe Biden be better for criminal justice?
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Joe Biden has not condemned the recent wave of riots strongly enough

Biden has not been strong enough in his criticism of left-wing riots in American cities. He will limit law enforcement powers and will be responsible for a rise in crime.
Joe Biden

The Argument

Joe Biden has not criticised the unrest, violence and looting taking place in many cities across the US. This silence implicitly suggests acceptance or support, highlighting Biden’s disrespect for law enforcement and the maintenance of order. Trump does not accept lawlessness, and supports the police in restoring law and order. Biden wants to decrease and limit the powers of law enforcement, and this will lead to a rise in crime.

Counter arguments

Biden has not supported calls to defund the police, as Trump and Pence have claimed.[1] He has proposed reforms that will change the way law enforcement operates, but will not lead to chaos. For more on the reforms Biden will implement, see the argument 'Joe Biden will reform the police force and the criminal justice system'. It is also wrong to attribute the unrest to Biden. As president, Trump must take responsibility for at least some of the violence, especially the brutality of law enforcement on protesters. Biden has accused Trump of "pouring fuel on the fire. He's encouraging this. He's not diminishing it at all. This is his America now".[2]

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/06/10/biden-root-out-systemic-racism-not-just-divisive-trump-talk-column/5327631002/
  2. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden/biden-says-coronavirus-crisis-unrest-symptoms-of-donald-trumps-america-idUSKBN25N2RK
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 4 Nov 2020 at 08:48 UTC

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