There is no reason for Democrats to lose the crime message. Representatives Eric Swalwell & Ilhan Omars have an ad that shows why.
Swalwell and Omar get it!
I love what Congressman Eric Swalwell has been doing with his ads challenging Democrats. His most recent ad, where the police terrorized a family as they arrested a mother who purportedly had an abortion, was epic.
Republicans have been running around trying to pin the marginal increase in crime rate on Democrats. The violent crime rate has been down for several years, as seen in the graph below.
The increase in gun violence, however, is apparent. As Governor Gaven Newsom said recently, one needs to tag Republicans for their gun-crime-enhancing policies. Here are some inconvenient truths for Republicans. Democrats must go on the offensive as Swalwell has. American Progress points out the following.
The rising violent crime rates over the past two years is a major issue that elected officials must address immediately. While many have blamed the criminal justice reform movement for the rise in violent crime, the fact is that these increases in violent crime can largely be attributed to an alarming escalation in gun violence. If elected officials are serious about stopping violent crime, they need to prioritize and support stronger gun laws.
The article points out the following.
- Rising crime rates are almost entirely driven by an increase in gun-related homicides.
- Rates of gun homicides have increased dramatically among children and teenagers.
- Nonfatal gunshot injuries are also on the rise.
- Firearms are frequently used to threaten people during other violent crimes.
- As gun crimes and the gun homicide rate have increased, the number of mass shootings has also grown considerably.
- Violent crime and homicide rates are worse in states with weaker gun laws.
Democrats and Progressives must get on the offensive on the crime issue, among many others. Tag every Republican with the crime increase.