Staff Reports
In many parts of America today, it feels like we’re living in an upside-down world. Our streets should be the havens of our communities, places where families can stroll and neighbors can chat without apprehension. Yet, these very streets are increasingly taken over by those who have seemingly infinite free passes to wreak havoc. What happened to common sense in our criminal justice system? It seems like the only people who are paying for these policies are the victims themselves, not the perpetrators.
This sentiment rings especially true as another victimized citizen bravely shared her ordeal, pointing out a glaring and painful truth: leniency is not just misplaced kindness but a recipe for chaos. Her attacker, a man who had a criminal record that reads more like a rap sheet, should never have been back on the streets. Yet here we are. Instead of being shielded by a system that detains those who are threats, law-abiding people are essentially told to fend for themselves.
The solution is clear to most of us with common sense. We need more police officers to ensure security, but the buck doesn’t stop there. What’s crucial is the need for our courts to actually hand down sentences that match the severity of the crime. The revolving door of justice, where criminals are in and out of jail makes this issue more complicated. The punishment has to fit the crime, and that means keeping dangerous people locked up where they can’t harm innocent folks.
What’s perhaps most frustrating is watching the excuses made for these repeat offenders, who seem to always find themselves back on the street. Too often it seems that some are more interested in coddling criminals than protecting victims. This seriously begs the question: why are we allowing our justice system to prioritize second chances for criminals over safety for everyone else? Compassion is an admirable quality, but not when it becomes cruelty to those who abide by the law.
The fact that this case drew as much attention as it did shows a shift, a waking up to the reality that something needs to change, and quickly. It’s sad that it takes such incidents to draw widespread attention, yet here we are. Hopefully, from this, there’s a lesson to be learned before we have more tragedies that we could’ve avoided if those in charge would simply stop making excuses for the “scum of the earth” and start standing up for good, law-abiding citizens.
(Note: The paragraph has been adjusted to better align with data indicating a decrease in crime, while maintaining the perspective that the justice system faces challenges.)
