Recently Gary Horton penned another screed that was filled with leftist platitudes about the reasons for increased crime (Aug. 4). To summarize, his reasons are a disrespect for the rule of law, a “super” increase in income disparity, and of course an unjust legal system rounds out his reasons for increased crime.
Let’s look at each of these reasons. He claims criminals don’t respect the rule of law. He’s correct, they don’t, but why? The reason is that there is no incentive to respect the rule of law. We have (less) cash bail. We have many crimes that aren’t prosecuted or prosecuted for a less severe charge. There are also crimes that are being committed that are simply allowed to happen. We’ve all seen the videos of brazen shoplifters where nobody does anything to stop the crime. Is it a lack of respect for the doing right or is it because Gary and people like Gary vote for the people who think it’s OK to coddle criminals at the expense of victims? Our quality of life suffers because of Gary and people like him who blame society instead of the criminal.
Second, the “super” increased income disparity. Naturally, Gary provides no data to support this contention. It beyond silly to say that because some have become fabulously wealthy it would necessarily result in higher crime. “Gosh, Jeff Bezos made another billion, I think I’m going to go rob and assault someone because of it.” There is no proof that rich people or people getting rich is a cause of more crime.
Finally, he cites the criminal justice system for increased crime. Gary is right but not for the reasons he thinks. Because people have been treated unfairly in the past, which is true, this does not account for rising crime rates today. The criminal justice system routinely fails to charge people thanks to people like Gary voting for creatures like George Gascón. Criminals are released with no bail and sentences are incredibly weak. An absence of negative consequences promotes crime! If you tell your kid not to hit his sibling or else, and the “or else” never happens, the child will continue with his unwanted behavior. Gary has apparently not learned this simple concept. Criminal justice in the past did have its flaws and needed some reform. Thanks to President Donald Trump for helping to make that reform happen, but reform doesn’t necessarily mean we condone crime or coddle criminals or blame rich people.
Crime is up because of dopey concepts like “defund the police” and voters too ill-informed to know what people like George Gascón stand for. Just look at what’s happened to San Francisco, a once beautiful city that has literally turned into a cesspool of misery because of their prior D.A. Gascón and their current one Chessa Boudin. It should be noted that Boudin is also the son of real domestic terrorists. The bombing kind of terrorists, not the running around in the Capitol with horns kind of terrorist. These people seem to think that letting criminals get away with crime will cause less crime. Reasonable people know that putting criminals in jail will definitely decrease crime, not coddling them because it’s stylish.
Brian Richards
Stevenson Ranch
