Kerby Anderson

A crime wave has hit America, though many politicians are in denial of its existence. For example, the murder rate increased by more than 25 percent in the last year. That makes it the biggest jump in 60 years.

If you are looking for an explanation, you don’t have to look any further than the riots and rhetoric in the streets. A year of protests and a year of “defund the police” are two factors that can be linked to the increase in crime.

Most of the increase has taken place in Democrat-run cities. The homicide rate in New York City was up nearly 40 percent. The violent crime rate increased by 74 percent in Seattle and 55 percent in Chicago. One researcher found that 51 of the 57 largest cities in America saw increases in homicides.

The current crime wave will certainly influence future elections in these cities. Irving Kristol once observed that a neoconservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. Voters in these cities have been mugged (figuratively and sometimes literally) by the reality of increased crime. They probably aren’t likely to vote for candidates who promise to “defund the police” or release more prisoners onto the streets.

Another sad consequence of the crime wave has been the increasing assaults on Jewish people. Antisemitism has been a problem for years. A significant percentage of reported hate crimes in the past have been against Jews. Now that rioting and violence are in the streets, Jewish people are facing an increasing number of attacks.

The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas provides another justification for those looking for a reason to attack Jews. Likewise, increased attacks on Asian-Americans are supposedly justified because the virus came from China.

America is facing a crime wave, and the next election is one way in which voters can make their voices heard and bring about needed change.