--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot 'fix' the police without a…" description: "\"We cannot 'fix' the police without a revolution of values and radical change to the basic structure of our society.\" — Michelle Alexander" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/michelle-alexander-750_change_we-cannot-fix-the-police-without-a-revol_80806.png" --- # We cannot 'fix' the police without a revolution of values… ![“We cannot 'fix' the police without a revolution of values and radical change to the basic structure of our society.” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/michelle-alexander-750_change_we-cannot-fix-the-police-without-a-revol_80806.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/michelle-alexander-750_change_we-cannot-fix-the-police-without-a-revol_80806.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c53/michelle-alexander-750_change_we-cannot-fix-the-police-without-a-revol_80806.png) > “We cannot 'fix' the police without a revolution of values and radical change to the basic structure of our society.” [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Structural reform of policing requires a fundamental shift in societal values and institutions, not merely policy tweaks. **In simple terms:** Policing needs deep societal change. Key Takeaway Fixing police demands a values revolution. Themes social justice institutional reform values systemic change law enforcement Mood determined critical hopeful Type political philosophical call to action When to use this quote - policy debates - activist movements - community forums - legislative hearings Key Concepts power dynamics civil rights community trust Practical Applications - reframing public safety strategies - designing community-led oversight Questions to Reflect On - What values must be reexamined to transform policing? - How can communities drive structural change? A Different Perspective Some argue incremental reforms can improve policing without a full societal overhaul. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Fix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fix/) [Fix Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fix-police-1030348/) [Police Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-revolution-1030347/) [Radical change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical-change/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolution Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution-values-1030349/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [I no longer believe that we can 'fix' the police, as though the police are anything other than a mirror reflecting back to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/i-no-longer-believe-that-we-can-fix-the-police-as-though-the-police/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [There's just one revolution that I can take seriously, and that's a police revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imre-kert-sz/there-s-just-one-revolution-that-i-can-take-seriously-and-that-s-a/) [Imre Kertész](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imre-kert-sz/) > [“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harrison-nichols/i-am-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-get-on-the-right-side-of-the-world/) [John Harrison Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harrison-nichols/) > [You can't be halfhearted in a revolution. Values that serve well in a civil society don't work in a state of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/you-can-t-be-halfhearted-in-a-revolution-values-that-serve-well-in-a/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our present policies...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/a-true-revolution-of-values-will-soon-cause-us-to-question-the-3/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/a-true-revolution-of-values-will-soon-cause-us-to-question-the-2/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-banks/a-true-revolution-of-values-will-soon-look-uneasily-on-the-glaring/) [Lloyd Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-banks/) > [I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-am-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-get-on-the-right-side-of-the-world-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [CREATIVITY first of all aims to achieve a REVOLUTION OF VALUES THROUGH RELIGION, therefore it completely and categorically rejects the Judeo-Christian-democratic-Marxist-liberal-feminist values of today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-klassen/creativity-first-of-all-aims-to-achieve-a-revolution-of-values/) [Ben Klassen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-klassen/) > [The real revolution is the revolution of values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-joseph/the-real-revolution-is-the-revolution-of-values/) [Peter Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-joseph/) > [A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our present policies... 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If you ask for jobs or economic investment, you won't get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-you-ask-for-good-schools-you-aren-t-likely-to-get-them-if-you-ask/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [The uncomfortable reality we must face is that California, like the nation as a whole, has treated generations of African Americans and Latinos as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-uncomfortable-reality-we-must-face-is-that-california-like-the/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“Seeing race is not the problem. Refusing to care for the people we see is the problem. 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