Much has happened in the year 2020. I predict our grandchildren will be telling their grandchildren about this year, perhaps, like no other in history.
The impact of a worldwide pandemic is beyond comparison and is yet to be seen in hindsight.
My focus is how it has changed the political climate and it effect of the personal safety of all Americans.
The “effect and impact” that I’m referring to is “crime and violence.” Not germs and viruses.
Most of the US voted through the mail producing far more ballots and votes than ever cast in an American election.
San Francisco is and has been the home base then and now for all political leadership and direction in California.
From Jerry Brown, Kamala Harris, Willy Brown, John Burton, Dianne Feinstein to Nancy Pelosi, all San Francisco prodigies, along with Gavin Newsom, have gone on to influence and move America’s agenda.
The most troubling aspect of California’s Liberal Agenda is its outright legalization of crime.
Even the few laws that remain and are actively being prosecuted are now being selectively enforced.
All elected offices, state and federal, from Governor to District Attorney, to County Sheriff must take an oath to support and enforce our laws.
They then decide to support and enforce only the ones they like.
It’s called “selective enforcement.”
Governor Newsom has suspended California’s death penalty which arguably applies to the worse, most dangerous and vicious criminals that have had the most carefully reviewed and prosecuted trials and convictions.
Now, San Francisco’s other famous former District Attorney George Gascon, with financial help from George Soros, is now District Attorney of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US.
With a population of 13 million, the Los Angeles District Attorney has a staff of prosecutors of over 1,000, the largest in America. Los Angeles also has the largest jail in America with its twin towers and 25,000 inmate capacity.
So District Attorney Gascon, fresh after winning the election and reciting and promising to enforce the few California laws on the books, proceeds to read a long list of crimes that will no longer be charged in LA (more selective enforcement).
Now California has but a few crimes that are still crimes and District Attorneys who pick and choose what ones they will actually enforce.
When you combine this policy with the early release laws that cut actual prison time served to a fraction of the actual time received from the judge at sentencing time, its outcome has been more crime, drugs, and homelessness in our cities.
There has been one saving grace in this lawless mess.
Some of these crimes also break federal law and allow federal prosecutors to charge, convict and send offenders to federal prisons that require 85% of their terms be served. While this does not happen often, at least it does happen – until now.
When a new President of the United States is elected all US Attorneys must submit a letter of resignation.
The new President then replaces these prosecutors with attorneys that fit the political views of the party in power.
I would say California is in for a rough ride and I’m sorry to see so many of my friends and neighbors leaving our state, but I can’t blame them.
Worse yet, the open and obvious deterioration of California is turning our state into a place you don’t want to be, it’s now passing this “new low” on to other states. Like so many times before, the US plays “follow the leader” after California.
The good side of California national leadership roll occurred some 25 years ago when 3 Strikes went from California to 28 other states and The Federal Crime Bill of 1994, sponsored by then Senator Joe Biden.
This was at a time when crime was at an all-time high.
This is a cycle that is repeating and started with then and now the election of Jerry Brown as California Governor.
Who and what can stop this race to the bottom that is bound to leave this state a place that is no longer habitable? It’s anybody’s guess.