In 1968, Richard Nixon ran for president with a promise to “get tough on crime.” Since then, six Republican presidents have occupied the White House for 32 years, and four Democratic presidents have held the office for 22 years.
Republicans held the presidency for an entire decade more than Democrats. Here’s question: If Republicans are so good at stopping crime, why is there still crime? Republicans had a ten-year advantage in running the country. They should have fixed the problem.
What did Republicans do about crime? They built more prisons. They put more people in jail. The United States incarcerates more people than ANY OTHER COUNTRY. So, Republicans, why is there still crime?
Could it be that locking people up does not fix the underlying problems that encourage crime in the first place?
Could it be that taxing working families in order to reward billionaires creates financial imbalance and hardship?
Could it be that a lack of a fair and comprehensive healthcare system has led many families into financial ruin and has failed to address a growing mental health crisis?
Could it be that flooding the streets with semi-automatic weapons has led to more shootings rather than fewer?
Could it be that the lack of comprehensive immigration reform has led to chaos on the southern border?
Could it be that Republicans really don’t want to solve the crime problem at all? Think about it. It crime decreased dramatically, what would Republicans talk about during election cycles? How are they going to pound the table and whip up support if there’s no crime to speak of?
The Republican approach to crime has been a colossal failure for decades. Their policies don’t reduce crime; they encourage it at every level, from street gangs to school shootings, from corruption to tax cheats, from homelessness to domestic abuse, from political violence to the insurrection, Republican policies - or the lack thereof - and right-wing rhetoric have fanned the flames of instability and violence, and they have offered no effective solutions. None.
