U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — commonly known as AOC — clearly embodies how far left today’s Democratic Party has drifted.
When the freshman Congresswoman was specifically asked in Queens last weekend to condemn Seattle Black Lives Matter “protesters” that marched through and terrorized a neighborhood to demand that white residents give up their homes, she just couldn’t do it. Instead, AOC said that we need to “establish just policies and address the core issues of brutality in order for us to come together.”
Videos show these protesters shouting at white families to “give Black people back their homes.”
Like other Democrats, AOC can’t bring herself to condemn this, or any of the violence plaguing many cities as a result of rioters. To quote another local member of Congress, Jerry Nadler, it is all just “a myth.”
In Chicago last week, dozens of families with sick children had to cower in fear as looters smashed the windows and front door of a Ronald McDonald House while they were inside.
According to AOC, Nadler, and the rest of the Democrats, all of this criminality and destruction are just figments of our imagination. Democrats are afraid to say or do anything that can be perceived as attacking their far-left radical base, which is becoming more criminal by the day.
Demonstrating how frustrated cops feel, the New York City Police Benevolent Association (PBA) just endorsed President Donald Trump.
PBA leader Pat Lynch said, “I have 36 years on this job … I cannot remember when we have ever endorsed for the office of President of the United States until now. That’s how important this is … we’re fighting for our lives out there. We don’t want this to spread to the rest of the country.”
Last week, shootings in New York City continued to spiral out of control. Citywide, there were 76 shooting victims between Aug. 10 and Aug. 16, according to NYPD data. This is about two-and-a-half times the amount of shootings citywide the same week last year. Lynch is right — we should not want the violence in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Seattle, and other Democratic cities to spread throughout our country.
Of course, AOC criticized the PBA’s endorsement, tweeting, “NYPD union endorsed Trump. I’m sure this is part of their neighborhood outreach plan.” What AOC and other city Democrats do not get is that it is hard for police to do outreach in communities when they are greeted with thrown bottles and other debris while attempting to do their jobs to protect law-abiding residents.
How many more shootings and body bags do we need in New York City for AOC and the Democrats to see that their efforts at “reform” have emboldened criminals and caused us to feel less safe? Is it any wonder that New Yorkers are now flocking to buy bullet-proof vests?
Bob Capano has worked for Brooklyn Republican and Democrat elected officials, and has been an adjunct political science professor for over 15 years. Follow him on twitter @bobcapano.
