I don’t know about you, but I am feeling much better about the state of the nation this morning than when I went to bed last night. Since I’m constantly exposed to the news cycle, and for that matter, real life, I was under the impression that crime was out of control across the nation.
All of those news stories about crime in L.A., Chicago, Oakland, New York, and Washington, D.C.? There was nothing to them, after all. They were merely tiny tempests in Lilliputian teacups. Mere hiccups. As it turns out, these concerns about crime were nothing more than part of an elaborate conservative psy-op, Republican hysteria, and right-wing talking points.
How do we know this? Because Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg can walk his dog around the nation’s capital. And you know that you can trust a Biden appointee who makes that assertion on MSNBC. With Jen Psaki, no less.
BUTTIGIEG (who has a constant security detail): “I can safely walk my dog to the Capitol today in a way that you couldn’t do when we all got here!”
Last year, D.C. had its deadliest year in 20+ years and saw the largest violent crime spike of any major U.S. city. pic.twitter.com/Jreo3W1Hsj
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 7, 2024
Speaking as someone who works at one of those “ideological news outlets,” as Buttigieg would say, I would also like to point out that when he walks his dog, he is probably protected by people with guns whose task it is to keep him and his dog safe. That is a luxury that most Americans don’t enjoy. As a member of the privileged class, Buttigieg has the perk of being able to ignore the problems that plague D.C. and the nation. And I am sure that the bubble in which he exists obscures much of his vision.
The Daily Mail notes that approximately one hour after Buttigieg’s appearance with Psaki, a man out walking his dog was robbed and stabbed. The incident occurred about a mile from the Capitol. Buttigieg and his family live a mile away in the opposite direction of where the stabbing occurred.
Violent crime in D.C. spiked 39% in 2023 over the previous year, with a 26% overall increase. According to the Washington Examiner, in 2023, D.C. had over 900 carjackings and a 100% increase in gun crimes when compared to pre-2020 levels.
While Buttigieg does not receive the same level of protection as the president, vice president, or higher-ranking cabinet members, it is folly to believe that he lives his life at the same level of risk as other residents of D.C. or the nation. The Daily Mail pointed out that he had an outside security detail during his failed presidential run and when he became the first openly gay Cabinet member.
Last summer, my wife was at work when a group of miscreants decided to stage a rave not far from her workplace. It spilled over into the wee hours of the morning and reportedly consisted of people helping themselves to buckets of assorted drugs. As she drove home, she was paced by a car that kept getting closer and closer and tried to cut her off several times.
It might have been a carload of idiots under the influence, out for a good time. It might have been a carjacker. They eventually lost interest and drove off, but she was in danger. This was in Utah, of all places.
My point is that if crime has not touched you or your family, it will soon. This is the world we live in thanks to progressives, who will never have to look over their shoulders.