OPINION:
Another day, another dead New York City police officer, another grieving widow.
The familiarity of these incidents should breed more than contempt. Instead, we get meaningless condemnations from politicians responsible for putting prosecutors in office who do not protect the public. Too many of them release career criminals, some of whom commit new crimes, including the killing of cops.
The latest, but likely not the last if things don’t change, is the widow of slain New York City cop Jonathan Diller. Officer Diller was gunned down; the man charged with murder in his death has a lengthy rap sheet. Diller’s widow, Stephanie Diller, 28, asked a question that has been asked by other widows of fallen officers: “How many more police officers and how many more families (she and her husband have a 1-year-old son) have to make the ultimate sacrifice before we start protecting them”?
Good question. And the answer is? (See below.)
In 2022, Dominique Luzuriaga, the widow of another slain NYPD officer, Detective Jason Rivera, spoke at his memorial service: “The system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore. Not even the members of the service.”
Who is responsible for “the system”? It’s not only the people mishandling it, though they deserve plenty of blame. System members include New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Mr. Bragg seems more concerned with “getting” Donald Trump than keeping dangerous criminals off the street so that New Yorkers feel safe and protected. Other big cities with “woke” prosecutors are experiencing similar tragedies and disrespect for law enforcement in the wake of the “defund the police” movement.
In Los Angeles, George Gascon is another failed district attorney who regularly gives “get out of jail free” cards to violent criminals and other dregs of society. There are others. Some of their campaigns were financed by leftist billionaire George Soros, who seems to have bought the view that criminals are unfortunates who haven’t had good breaks in life. Most people who might be said to have had bad breaks have not turned to crime, so that is a weak argument.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the people who vote for governors and prosecutors who believe that criminals are victims of (name your excuse) and deserve second, third and even fourth chances. Too many use those chances in ways any rational person could predict. These voters have blood on their hands.
What are voters thinking, especially when they have the power to change things by voting for law-and-order candidates? Had Republican Lee Zeldin won the last New York governor’s race, he would likely have ousted Mr. Bragg and others who coddle criminals. Too many people vote for a party label and not the policies of the candidate best positioned to fight crime. If voters don’t like what is happening, they should try something else. Otherwise, the blame is on them.
We now have what C.S. Lewis called a “humanitarian theory of punishment,” in which the criminal is treated better than the victim and the victim’s widow and children. The fundraising campaigns, while helpful, can never make up for the loss of a husband and father, no matter how much is raised.
These women should not be widows. Their husbands should be home with them and their children. They might not be widows if the criminals were in jail and people felt the streets and subways were as safe as they once were under previous governors, mayors and prosecutors.
Every Republican should make replacing soft-on-crime prosecutors, mayors and governors a top issue in the November election. If not, expect more widows and fatherless children.
• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
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