Staff Reports
As Steve Witkoff readies his trip to Moscow to take part in discussions about the peace plan, closer to home, the news from our nation’s capital is grim. It seems things took a dark turn with one service member losing his life and another left fighting for his. Yes, this is happening right in Washington, D.C., of all places. Who would have thought that the capital of the free world might start to feel more like a scene from an action movie?
These incidents raise pertinent questions about safety and law enforcement’s role in cityscapes known more for their monuments to freedom than acts of violence. The President made a bold decision a while back to deploy National Guard troops to the capital. This move sparked a series of divisive commentaries, with critics squawking about federal action resembling a show of force rather than a genuine effort to grapple with crime. Apparently, having troops lend a hand with law enforcement is considered overzealous – or maybe just un-American, according to some hand-wringing officials and journalists.
The naysayers conveniently ignore the fact these deployments actually aimed to assist local law enforcement and bolster public safety in D.C. Yet, well-orchestrated debates were crafted around ideas of government crackdowns. Critics feared that a stroll past the Lincoln Memorial might require navigating around menacing soldiers. Meanwhile, the reality was the National Guard mostly walking through some of D.C.’s edgier areas, possibly making criminals think twice. The presence of uniformed troops doesn’t scream tyranny; it whispers deterrence, louder than any siren could.
An article from the Atlantic hilariously painted the National Guard’s presence as a failure and an avoidable tragedy, blaming their lack of policing skills for the dangers they supposedly face. It seems some believe the troops’ time was spent picking up litter rather than making real contributions to safety. But dismissing their role sounds rather convenient when they’ve been part of a strategy that saw a miraculous 30% drop in total crime, with homicides down by an eye-catching 60%.
To further bolster these efforts, another 500 troops are summoned to the task, accompanying the President’s recent surge against unchecked immigration from certain regions. Critics cannot jump in fast enough, clamoring that this is about slamming doors shut. Yet, is it so wild to suggest we exercise greater vetting? Temporary measures were hinted, with hopes they’ll transform into meticulousness in admissions – not reckless exclusion. It’s about knowing who enters the gates of liberty, not padlocking those gates altogether.
