Ocasio-Cortez and Pelosi Downplay Surge in Violence

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
With violent crimes surging across the country, Democrat lawmakers are ignoring the dangerous surge.
Shootings in New York City, for example, are up at an alarming rate at 130 percent for the month of June versus a year ago.
However, New York Democrat Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blames the crime wave on the economy and not cuts to the police budget or changes to policing strategies.
AOC on increased NYC crime: "Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren't paying their rent & are scared to pay their rent & so they go out & they need to feed their child & they don't have money so… they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry." pic.twitter.com/oHSTWWJZ6a
— The Hill (@thehill) July 12, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez was harshly criticized on social media.
https://twitter.com/NYScanner/status/1282558469275553792?s=20
https://twitter.com/ChadGar40522734/status/1282403020471513088?s=20
During a press conference last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was asked about protesters taking down a Christopher Columbus statue where she grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and about the spike in violence happening around the country.
Pelosi not only wouldn’t condemn the violence but responded by lackadaisically saying, “I don’t care that much about the statues,” and “People will do what they do.”
“People will do what they do.”#PelosiMustGo https://t.co/sQrZeevTDp https://t.co/9BQ0quwExT
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 12, 2020
Critics hit back at Pelosi on social media including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.
While efforts towards peaceful change are welcome, there is no place in Maryland for lawlessness, vandalism, and destruction of public property. pic.twitter.com/eXNv5qsCUP
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) July 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/spankfit/status/1282444998135492610?s=20
https://twitter.com/qrlamarige2020/status/1282417059436146688?s=20
While Democrats are calling to defund and disband police departments, violence is escalating in cities across the country.
Under New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city recently defunded $1 billion from the police department budget.
de Blasio backed the decision saying, “We think it’s the right thing to do.”
NPR reports:
“We are reducing the size of our police force by not having the next recruit class. We are reducing our overtime levels. We’re shifting functions away from police to civilian agencies,” de Blasio said.
“We think it’s the right thing to do. It will take work. It will take effort and we’re going to be reforming that work in the meantime,” he added.
Other cities including Seattle City Council Members support defunding their police department.
The Seattle Times reports:
A majority of Seattle City Council members now say they agree with a high-level proposal by advocates to defund the Police Department by 50% and reallocate the dollars to other community needs.
Defunding the police and ignoring the rise in violent crime is a recipe for disaster.
It’s reckless and dangerous for Ocasio-Cortez, Pelosi and other Democrat lawmakers for not condemning the violence that is putting innocent Americans in harm’s way.