As the fight over abortion, the war in Ukraine, and long stories of dysfunctional Hollywood marriages dominate the news, one has to be reminded that there are other problems, closer to home, that demand our attention. One has to do with the failure of judges and law enforcement agencies to prosecute crimes in some of our nation’s major cities. The consequences of this have been dire. Big cities have become crime factories where criminal predators are allowed prowl the streets and act, with impunity, on their most base impulses. Once upon a time, when society and the law were stricter on crime, the criminal had to narrow down the types of offenses he could commit and live to tell about it; these days the law gives him so much leeway that he is overwhelmed as he thinks about the amount of crimes he can perpetuate with little or no legal repercussions. Two things served as a precursor to this current state of anarchy. (1) The riots and looting that followed the death of George Floyd. Millions of Americans witnessed this lawlessness in endless video loops. Many were appalled by this sad spectacle; many others were corrupted by it. Those so demoralized were further pushed to satisfy their venal urges by orders to police from mayors in Minneapolis, Seattle, and New York to “stand down” in the face of stealing, rioting, and vandalism frenzies. It was then off to the races. (2) Major media’s portrayal of the looting of high-end stores as a justifiable act of civil disobedience. In the current political and social climate, criminals and others with criminal intent have therefore made a logical choice: commit as many crimes as possible until the authorities start arresting and prosecuting for them.
the news, one has occasionally to be
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