CRIME

The truth is that Republicans are the anti-law enforcement party. Donna Brazile.  They are weak on stopping crime and protecting public safety

·       Murder rates in the 25 states Donald Trump carried in 2020 are 40% higher overall than in the states Joe Biden won  

·       Republican-led counties (e.g., rural) have a higher crime rate per capita, a rural crime wave that can hardly be blamed on Democrats.

·       Red-state governors have made it easier for criminals to get guns yet push anti-recidivism programs.

·         A nearly 30% increase in murder rates occurred from 2019 to 2020, Trump's last year, vs.  an estimated 4% increase in murder nationally in 2021.  FBI data in Vox

 

They promote racism

 

·       The Republican crime focus is a proxy for race, to scare their White base and make conservative-leaning, White, persuadable voters uncomfortable with Democrats. 99% of the criminals featured in crime ads are Black and Brown.

 

·       Black Americans don’t want to become crime victims any more than whites. But at the same time, we don’t want to become victims of rogue cops who treat us differently because of the color of our skin and sometimes assault and even kill us with no justification.  Donna Brazile, The Grio.

 

They also blocked or opposed:

 

·       Funding police in the Dem  American Rescue Plan - not one Republican supported.

·       Funding to allow the IRS to pursue wealthy tax-cheats.

·       Funding social programs that address poverty, drug addiction, affordable housing, and mental health -- all but one congressional Republican voted against a bill to provide mental-health services to schools.

·       Police accountability in the Floyd Lloyd Justice in Policing Act,

·       Common-sense gun-safety legislation, choosing the proliferation of guns, the gun lobby, and the NRA over fighting gun crime.

 

We need a comprehensive bipartisan crime-prevention reform in red and blue counties.

·       The overall cost to society of dealing with crime dramatically drops if the goal is re-socializing and rehabilitation,* which is dramatically cheaper than penalizing-promoting recidivism. 

 

*For example: (a) targeting youth at risk of reacting violently reduced crime 30-50%, (b) homicide rates were 15% lower for all gun sales with background checks, (c) prohibiting possession by those convicted of a violent crime resulted in an 18% reduction, (d) Investing as other advanced countries in what crime-reducers that make people happy, healthy and whole such as high-quality early ed, summer youth employment programs, food stamps, and affordable housing. Nation

 

·       A remarkable 75% endorse the effectiveness of “increased funding for economic opportunities in poor communities” — including 76% of independents and 61% of Republicans.

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