Leftists, practiced at the art of deception, do not care about anyone who lives in America. They care about one thing: acquiring and maintaining power at all costs. And they think catering to criminals will achieve that goal.

Case in point the in-credibly—as in not credibly–named Safe-T Act (Safety Accountability Fairness and Equity-Today), which passed Illinois’ irresponsible, far-leftist General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker on Feb. 22, 2021. The most controversial provision of this 763-word behemoth that was passed under cover of darkness, takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023 and is just now receiving its justly deserved, overdue public outcry.

The controversial provision makes Illinois the first state in the country to abolish cash bail for a number of crimes that put at risk Illinoisans’ safety and public order. In the service of “equity”—which in the leftist Upside Down has nothing to do with fairness—leftists are again making the streets more dangerous. Let’s call the law the Safety for Criminals Act.

Calling the law an “abomination,” Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau outlines the features of the law that make it a criminal’s dream:

It abolishes cash bail for almost every offense. This includes but isn’t limited to kidnapping, armed robbery, second-degree murder, drug-induced homicide, aggravated DUI, threatening a public official, and aggravated fleeing and eluding.

Offenders released on electronic monitoring have to be in violation for 48 hours before law enforcement can act.

…

And keep this in mind businesses and homeowners, officers will no longer be able to remove trespassers from your residence or your businesses.

While leftists claim to care about the safety and well-being of citizens, the manifest failures of their policies and laws prove again and again that something else is afoot.

Their unspoken reasoning about the Safety for Criminals Act goes something like this:

1.) If communities are more dangerous, then voters living in those dangerous communities will vote for government leaders who represent colossal government to take care of them.

2.) (And here’s where the real racism can be found): Voters in the most crime-ridden neighborhoods are often persons of color who typically vote Democrat and whose votes leftists desperately need, so they pass laws that will make those neighborhoods more dangerous in order to impel those voters to elect—again—leftist colossal-government leaders.

3.) Since most of the criminals in these crime-ridden neighborhoods are also persons of color, making them safe–that is exempt–from laws intended to protect the public will endear leftist leaders to voters of color—or so leftists presume.

Of course, leftists don’t speak the quiet parts out loud. Those cunning vipers have forked tongues and know how to use them.

So instead, they tell victims of crime that “equity” demands they abolish cash bail for arrestees suspected of kidnapping, armed robbery, second-degree murder, drug-induced homicide, and aggravated DUI. It’s inequitable, unjust, and unfair for impoverished suspected criminals to languish in jail while other suspected criminals are able to roam free. Equity demands that all suspected criminals roam free while awaiting trial and sentencing—or so the vipers hiss.

And when these suspected criminals are free, where do the vipers suspect they’ll go to wreak mayhem? It’s likely not Hinsdale, Inverness, or Lake Forest that will be victimized.

According to Capitol News, Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, a Democrat, “argued that the SAFE-T Act requires a higher burden of proof to detain accused violent criminals until trial”:

The SAFE-T Act states that all defendants “shall be presumed eligible” for pretrial release [no bail] unless prosecutors present “clear and convincing” evidence to deny the suspect pretrial release, such as proof that the suspect committed the crime and poses a threat to the physical safety of a “specific, identifiable” person.

The cynical Democrat jig is up or almost up. Voters in dangerous communities increasingly recognize that it is leftist policies and laws that have made their neighborhoods dangerous and unlivable. They know that it was Democrats who made their neighborhoods far more dangerous when they called for defunding the police. They no longer want leaders who will make government even bigger and who will pass policies and laws that make their neighborhoods more dangerous.

What’s worse for leftists is that increasing numbers of voters of color in crime-ridden neighborhoods understand that they are pawns and victims of power-ravenous leftist fear- and race-mongers. Voters of color realize they are being exploited and harmed for their votes. They can see the racist hearts beating in the chests of leftist leaders like J.B. Pritzker.

Illinois State Representative  Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) laughably accuses Republicans of having a “bad stench of racism” for opposing a bill that will harm communities of color, as most Democrat policies do.

Slaughter also laughably claims that Democrats “want to have an understanding of the root causes of crime and violence.” Really? If so, why do so few—if any—Democrats talk about broken dysfunctional and fatherless families—a social plague incentivized and promoted by leftist policies and principles and which, in turn causes criminality and violence that ruins schools and neighborhoods causing untold suffering.

It is the systemic racism, ethically vacuous quest for power, and ignorance at the heart of the Democrat Party that leads them to believe that protecting criminals of color will lead terrorized voters of color in unlivable communities to continue to elect them.

On July 4, 2022, more than 80 rounds of ammunition were fired into the crowds watching the Highland Park July 4^th Parade. Seven were killed and dozens were injured in this perverse attack. Predictably, many on the left were again calling for increased gun control. What is a Christian response to the violence that plagues our nation?

No single article can address all the issues, but I want to provide some perspective to the issue of violence and crime in our nation and across the world.

First, the rifle used by the wicked man on July 4 did not cause the crime. The wicked man who used the rifle is to blame. It is the primary job of civil rulers to punish the wicked and protect the innocent as we see clearly in Romans 13:4,

“For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”

Sadly, the one who carried out the great evil on July 4 will not suffer the wrath that he should experience in this life. Part of the problem in our nation and around the world is that true justice is not meted out to murderers and others who commit violent crimes which inevitably leads to more violent crime. Very likely the Highland Park shooter will spend the rest of his life in prison, but that is not the truly Biblical form of justice he deserves.

We would all love to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals. This is easier said than done. However, it is wicked when elected officials treat law-abiding citizens as criminals simply because they own a weapon of the same model that a criminal used to murder people.

Second, violent crime is epidemic across America. However, gun ownership does not correlate with a country’s violent crime rate.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United States in 2020 ranked 20th for total murder rate. The U.S. Murder Rate in 2020 was 6.3 per 100,000 people. Switzerland, a country noted as having a fairly high rate of gun ownership, ranked 68th on the list with a murder rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people. Australia, a country often praised by liberals for restricting gun ownership, in 2020 ranked 52nd with a murder rate of 0.9 per 100,000. (It should be noted that Australia does have a much higher rate for sexual assault; it is more than twice that of the U.S.)

Third, there is a massive discrepancy in U.S. cities when it comes to murder rates which have nothing to do with access to guns. Both Chicago and Rockford have higher murder rates than Dallas and Houston. Are guns easier to get in Chicago (which bans them) than in Houston (which does not)?

In 2020, El Paso (population 678,815) saw a 71 percent decrease in gun homicides. The murder rate in El Paso declined from 5.2 to 1.5 from 2019 to 2020. Part of the reason for the high murder rate in El Paso in 2019 was a horrible mass shooting where twenty-three people were killed. In stark contrast, Des Moines saw an increase in gun homicides of 175 percent from 2019 to 2020 and Chicago had an increase of 54 percent.

Fourth, wicked politicians through promotion of violence and foolish COVID policies caused much harm to our nation. As a result, homicides were up 33 percent in cities across America. This is not the fault of guns but wicked men and women along with politicians who failed in their duties according to Romans 13.

Finally, throughout Illinois we may be just seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to crime thanks to the recently passed the 764-page SAFE-T “crime-bill” that will go into effect on January 1, 2023. Even Democrat politicians have been sounding the alarm on the dangers that are in store because of this bill. James Glasgow, Will County State’s Attorney, recently was warning about the criminal that will be set free from the Will Country jail connected with these “reforms.”

May the Lord have mercy. May God’s people be bold in their witness and wise in their voting.