There is compelling evidence that connects the increase in murders to the violent riots last summer and the Defund the Police movement
The murder rate went up more in 2020 than it ever has in American history. Now 2021 is heading in the same direction, maybe even much worse. Americans are now taking notice off the new increase. Violent crime now has passed ahead of COVID-19, the economy, political correctness, and race relations as the number one issue Americans are most worried about.
The White House finally saw that a poll that proved it and on Wednesday afternoon President Biden finally spoke up about increasing violent crime rates.
President Biden started his speech by saying violent crime was related to COVID-19. He stated that crime, “has spiked since the start of the pandemic over a year ago.” Then, he listed things that “we know that work” to reduce violent crime: “background checks” and “a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines” topped his list.
President Biden declines to honestly describe the cause of the country’s homicide increase. That’s why he has no functional plan to combat violent crime.
The problem is not the guns, and never has been the guns. The large majority of gun murders are carried out with handguns, while assault weapons are used in an insignificant amount. And going hard on legal gun dealers will not change anything, because 75% of criminals acquire their firearms illegally.
And COVID-19 is not what has caused this either. While lockdowns can raise harmful and self-destructive behaviors, murder is not one of them. Germany, South Korea and the U.K all locked down without having record highs in their murder rates. America is an anomaly and that demands an explanation.
There is compelling evidence connecting the increase in murders to the violent riots last summer and the Defund the Police movement. Both of which were supported, financially and verbally, by the Democratic Party and the Biden administration.
Instead of being honest, President Biden followed the golden rule of partisan politics: Never accept responsibility.
The timeline supports anti-police sentiment and rioting as main causes, not COVID. The CDC first recommended small gatherings in March 2020, but the murder rate didn’t begin rising until early June 2020, right after the country experienced violent riots.
In 2020, the murder rate went up by an average of 30% in America’s largest cities. But certain cities saw especially intense increases. Portland, the city worst infested by leftist rioters and anti-police politicians, tops the list with a jaw-dropping 533% rise in murders
Commonsense and an massive body of academic evidence says that more police will lead to less crime and less murders. Biden used to understand that. In a 2002 op-ed then-Senator Biden stated: “More cops clearly means less crime.”
The nationwide shortage of police officers really explains the increase in crime. Thanks to Democrats’ dehumanization of law-enforcement, police resignations are up 45% and recruitment is down 26% on average.
In left-coast Seattle, police retirements rose by 362 percent. Officers are leaving because they have felt unsafe. They know they are essential, and their work is no longer worth the harassment and hostility from the Left.
Recruitment has lowered dramatically too. That means police shortages will not be fixed by the best part of the White House’s plan—which allows local governments to use COVID funds to hire law-enforcement officers.
The most pathetic part about Democrats’ own responsibility for rising violent crime is that it’s now impossible the White House to work to lower violence in America – they would have to oppose everything they stood for less than a year ago.