OPINION

In Leftist Land, Who Will Protect You?

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For years, liberals have told Americans they do not need guns because the police have guns. But now many leftists advocate defunding police altogether.

This brings serious public policy questions. In Leftist Land, who exactly would have guns? And who is responsible for protecting Americans?  

The 2020 Democratic Party Platform does not recognize the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms and Democrats speak in almost perfect unison in this regard. 

Joe Biden has indicated that he would put gun-grabbing, former presidential candidate Robert “Beto” O’Rourke in charge of stripping away the Second Amendment rights. 

The liberal rule seems to be “Guns for me, but not for thee.” Milwaukee City Council members who voted to defund police, quickly got private security for themselves. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans use their firearms to defend themselves between 500,000 and 3 million times a year, but liberal politicians think they have better ideas. 

Their advice for women ranks as the most ridiculous. Suggestions include using a rape whistle, playing dead, and calling police while being raped. 

Former Colorado State Senator Jesse Ulibarri suggested a ballpoint pen was a fine way to fight off a crazed gunman. 

This year, a liberal prosecutor brought charges against a Missouri couple who protected themselves by standing in front of their home with guns as protesters destroyed a gate, trespassed on private property, and allegedly made threats against the homeowners. 

How do leftists protect citizens from criminals? 

We have all seen the destruction this year in cities where liberal politicians have had police stand down while citizens have been beaten and businesses have been looted and burned. 

In some cities, like Seattle, Portland, and Milwaukee, it appeared that liberal officials handed the cities over to the criminals, completely abandoning law-abiding taxpayers, while pretending arson was part of “peaceful protests.”  President Trump’s offers to send in reinforcements were mostly shunned by Democrat mayors who would seemingly rather have their cities destroyed. 

In Portland, in just one night of rioting, over 60 911 calls were not responded to, as police were overwhelmed. A 12-year-old boy was held hostage at knifepoint for 90 minutes as his father waited for police to respond. 

Gun crimes are skyrocketing as New York City has disbanded one of their most effective anti-crime units this year. In the first month there was a 205 percent increase in gun crimes. 

“I feel like we are giving the streets back to the criminals,” the mother of one victim told the New York Post.

Many on the left push new policies mandating that unarmed social workers (83 percent of whom are women) respond to some 911 calls. 

Chicago, famous for some of the toughest restrictions on firearm ownership, has faced criticism for years for their horrible record on prosecuting violent criminals who use guns. In Chicago, as in many cities run by liberals, the laws restricting gun ownership only seem to disarm law-abiding citizens. 

“Bail reform” (translation: “No Bail”) led by leftists in some cities has led to a revolving door of criminals being arrested and let out to commit more crimes. In New York City, the NYPD blamed bail reform for this year’s crime spike. NYPD statistics show that 482 people who were arrested and released were responsible for 846 additional crimes including major felonies. 

In Leftist Land, regular law-abiding citizens are left defenseless. Police are defunded, disarmed, and deterred. Elites have armed private security details. And criminals are free to terrorize over and over. 

This is the antithesis of what should happen in our constitutional republic. In such times, we must hold on dearly to our Constitution, which gives Americans the right to protect themselves and which establishes a system for law and order on which they can depend. 

This means every position in every city, county, state, and federal office matters. Sheriffs, city commissioners, district attorneys, mayors, legislators, and judges call the shots close to home. If you live in a city where the district attorney will prosecute you for self-defense, then your life could be on the line. If you live in a city where police are told to stand down, your family could be at risk. 

So, who will protect you? A huge number of Americans seem to have decided they can only count on themselves. The FBI reported that Americans set a record with 4 million background checks in June. We bear some of the responsibility for our own safety, whether we are bearing arms or voting. 

Before we bear arms, we need to be aware of the laws and get training. Before we vote, we should research which candidates care about our ability to protect ourselves and the importance of law and order. If we lose these core principles, we will all be less safe.