To the editor:

Are we so used to people killing, raping, stealing, assaulting, and every other crime that we don’t even talk about it?

Many people in our larger cities are scared. It isn’t safe even in neighborhoods where many have lived for decades. Shots at night are not unusual. People are hesitant to work or shop downtown.

In Minneapolis last year there were 600 car jackings. That is probably at least $13,000,000 that was stolen by gun point. There are so many that the police can’t keep up. It is very dangerous. A gun is used and you have no idea what kind of person is behind that gun. Being mugged is not a unique experience anymore. Twelve cities hit an all-time murder record last year and 2022 might be worse.

Why is all this unbelievable crime happening? There has been a big effort by Democratic mayors and council members to defund the police. Initially there was talk about doing away with them. What? They started by reducing the number. That was no problem because as that thought was about to be acted out, police officers who could retire did and many others just quit. Can you imagine the danger of being a police officer in a city that doesn’t want you? So now they don’t have enough officers and crime is rising fast. The cities are already doing an about face but too late. They are understaffed and it takes a few years for a new police officer to get up to speed.

In addition, and this I really don’t understand, city attorneys are deciding to write their own law and not indict robbers, assaults and even some carjackings. They have decided that instead of spending time executing a judgement on them, they will say, “don’t do it again” and turn them loose. With that same attitude, bonds are reduced or eliminated. A repeat criminal can just be turned lose to keep stealing until his court date if he even shows up.

Where did all this start? With Floyd in Minneapolis mostly. A cop committed a crime. BLM and the news media decided to make it big, spurring protests, mobs, raids, plundering, burning and even taking over police stations and so riots began. Jan. 6 was no different than hundreds of protests that went on the year before. Insurrection? What is taking over a police station or a few blocks of a city? That certainly comes under the definition of insurrection but the Dems/Fake News treated it differently.

BLM has reaped a fortune in charitable giving due just to the name, Black Lives Matter. What a great marketing name!

What has been wrought?

Billions in lost property, attacks on police, murders during the riots and worst of all, it has left every place focused upon with many more murders. Don’t black lives matter regardless of who kills them?

Those in power only mention crime when they are campaigning. This is sad not just for America but for minorities as well. I used to think that America was a safe country. Today, you need a gun to be safe. Be careful.

John Benedict

Cape Coral