Given that not even the pundits and people paid to prognosticate got it right on the midterms, I'm hesitant to add amateur analysis to the mix. That said, I do have some thoughts about what the elections mean for police and public safety and where we go from here.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, even if you disagree with me. Our country is based on the embrace of thoughtful, passionate discourse – it's the way we move forward and succeed. Let's keep this civil though, please; there's enough division and hatred in this country. Politics isn't the world.
Some Good News
Governor Ron DeSantis, who is one of the (if not the) nation's top defenders of law and order and police officers, won big in Florida. Take a look at the Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act he passed into law, and you'll understand why I say this.
A key component of the law: Striking a police officer during a violent or disorderly assembly is punishable with a mandatory six-month jail sentence. This act not only aids in officer morale, but sends a message to would-be offenders not to abuse cops.
This piece of legislation should serve as a model for the country. Yet most candidates (including those who claim to support law enforcement) have largely been MIA.
Where's the Disconnect?
Crime was purported to be a top issue this election cycle, yet pro-police and public safety candidates still garnered losses.
I've spoken to people deeply concerned about crime, yet who continue to vote for the very same candidates promising more of the same chaos.
Chicago, one of the great American cities (and my original hometown) is being crushed by crime. Yet it is Chicago that propelled Governor J.B. Pritzker into victory. Maybe voters aren't aware that he signed the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which in part, ends cash bail, and goes into effect at the start of the year?
In Pennsylvania, John Fetterman won the U.S. senate even though he has supported policies that favor criminal offenders, including support of an overly-lenient district attorney and eliminating cash bail.
And New Yorkers (whose major city has experienced a crime surge) elected a governor who accused her opponent of “hyperventilating” about crime. Given the makeup of the New York legislature, I'm not sure how much progress Lee Zeldin would have made in eliminating the state's disastrous bail “reform” law, but at the least he would have fired the Manhattan district attorney.
So where's the disconnect? Why is it that people in some of the most crime-infested cities choose to vote for more of the same?
I think part of it is human nature – being comfortable with what you already know and fear of change. It also goes deeper than that.
With exceptions (like National Police Association and FOP), law enforcement organizations are not doing nearly enough on messaging. Even one of my state's police unions couldn't even muster up support for candidates who are clearly pro-police.
Why is this?
Additionally, candidates who previously empathized with anti-police sentiment had begun to pledge funding for police. Note: After these same people spent years demoralizing the police! Without pushback from police groups explaining that throwing money at a problem is not a solution, voters (especially those not tuned into politics or policing issues) likely took this to mean that these candidates support police.
Where We're at in Wisconsin With Pro-Police Legislation
In my state of Wisconsin, Tony Evers will remain governor. To give you an idea of the type of politician he is, after an officer-involved incident that helped ignite the Kenosha riots, Evers had this to say.
“While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.”
More bad news.
I found two Wisconsin state senators interested in drafting law & order legislation that would, in part, make a prison sentence mandatory for anyone who strikes a police officer in certain situations. Similar to Florida's law and order legislation.
I'm meeting with one of these senators in a couple weeks and have been working diligently to draft a proposal. Unless Evers has a change of heart, however, I just can't see him signing this type of bill.
I had high hopes for this bill and what it would mean for our guardians, but it looks like it's going nowhere. I'll see what the senator I'm meeting with has to say and will keep you posted.
Politics Isn't Everything
For my readers who are people of faith, I offer this.
Whether or not you believe in God, Patricia's underlying message is spot on. Politics isn't everything. Granted, politics is important in that the policies created impact our lives in very real ways – but it's not the most important thing. How utterly sad that friendships, families, and marriages are being torn apart because of political differences. How did we get here?
Regardless of where each of us stands on the political spectrum, one thing is for sure: We have got to stop tearing each other down – it's exhausting and destroying the country. We are after all, one nation, differences and all. Our nation's founders argued and disagreed with ferocity, yet managed to craft one of our most important documents.
Regardless of how you voted, please know that you are most welcome here.
This article originally appeared in For the Blue. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News. Republished with permission.
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New York City voted for Eric Adams and now Hochul . They own it and will live to repent.
Thanks for your message Patricia Heaton, someone has to say this out in the open, for all to hear, whether Christian or not,we all have to live together, why not try and get along.All this hate will only get u closer to hell, were supposed to love our neighbor, not kill hate and destroy him. Wake up America,u are on your last leg of survival, better get it right. .
Do you believe the results? I do not. Most of these elections were RIGGED!
I hope more states take up laws like that, & I hope it includes their horses & K-9s too. ButI think, given all that’s going on, I will not be holding my breath…
The majority of this problem is in lib run areas. We don’t have this problem here not in Florida as in most conservative states.
Unfortunately, I have no brilliant answers. Post-election polling indicated that the majority agreed with the Republican position on law and order, but they did not trust the GOP to actually do as they said they would do.
In order to win elections, our politicians have intentionally undermined confidence in “the other guy” which also undermines democracy. And while there are plenty of examples from both sides, to me, the most appalling example was to scare voters into believing that it would mean the end of democracy if the election didn’t go their way.
Just making that claim serves to undermine democracy, which shows that politicians will do anything to hold onto power and the people are foolish enough to believe that what they say is purely factual rather than political.
The only solution that I can see is for the American people to be better informed about what’s happening in the country and the world – but that would require that the schools and the press present information without political bias. And those days are long hine.
I’ll close by expressing my sincere appreciation for our law enforcement. They risk their own lives to protect ours – for which we should all be eternally grateful.
Given that not even the pundits and people paid to prognosticate got it right on the midterms, I’m hesitant to add amateur analysis to the mix.
Actually, amateurs are closer to right more often than not.