Morgan Freeman Disagrees With Efforts to ‘Defund the Police’
By Movieguide® Staff
Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman recently expressed his disagreement with the recent push to defund the police.
The SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION actor said that he is not “in the least bit for defunding the police” during an interview with Black Enterprise’s Selena Hill.
“Police work is — aside from all the negativity around it — it is very necessary for us to have them,” Freeman said. “And most of them are guys that are doing their job, they’re going about their day-to-day jobs. I know some policemen who would never even pull their guns, except in a range, that sort of thing.”
Hill asked Freeman about his view of the police in light of his upcoming movie, THE KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMERBLAIN, which tells the story of a Marine Corps veteran killed by police in 2011.
Frankie Faison, who stars as Chamberlain in Freeman’s movie, agreed with the 84-year-old actor and director.
“Well, I agree with Morgan,” Faison said. “I’m certainly not in favor of defunding the policemen.”
Hill posted clips from the interview to her Instagram. She reflected on the conversation with the two actors, with whom she disagrees.
“To be clear, I’m an avid supporter of defunding police and the ideas behind the [Abolish the Police] movement,” she wrote. “However, this interview further affirms that the terminology we’re using to describe the reallocation of police funding to other community-based services is polarizing and prohibits the movement from gathering more support.”
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Freeman is vocal about his thoughts on race and politics in the United States. Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney, said that Freeman is bound to come under fire for his views.
“Morgan Freeman is in that Hollywood elite, so he’s going to get some blowback,” Terrell told Fox News. “I applaud him for speaking out, because it shatters this ridiculous concept that we think alike; we all hate the police. We don’t hate the police. We love the police, because 98% of them — maybe 99% — they protect us. Twenty-four seven, when we’re asleep at night, they’re out there protecting us.”
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