We just want government to get back to its basics, which is public safety.
~ Victoria Palmer, Candidate for State Rep LD36 (Seattle)
“Safety First.” FPIW attended a recent Town Hall in Seattle focused on crime and how to restore public safety in our communities. With some 80 people in attendance, there were special guests including the President of Seattle’s Police Guild Mike Salon and GOP Chairman Jim Walsh. The event was moderated by independent journalist Jonathan Choe. They were joined by a panel of public safety experts as well as candidates running for state representative this November who are committed to solving the crime crisis.
This event comes at a time when many Washington communities are grappling with the issue of rising gun violence, prostitution, theft, territory wars, and a drug epidemic. Public safety is on the minds of Washington residents and business owners now more than ever before.
In a video from candidate Victoria Palmer, many business owners on Aurora Avenue shared their experience with the rising crime rates in the area. One gas station owner said that he had been attacked at knife and gunpoint on multiple occasions, and has resorted to conceal carrying because it is the only way to protect himself and his property.
“Crime is horrible in this place. It is horrible, absolutely disgusting. I’m not saying police [are] bad. The thing is, they are handicapped [by politicians],” the business owner shared.
Multiple businesses reported that sales are down from years prior because people are scared to shop in the area. The owner of Emerald City Smoothie, Zach, said that after 29 years on Aurora, he has never seen gun violence on the current scale. His business is hurting and he says the obvious demographic that rarely comes into the store is women and children.
“People may think that Aurora has always had shootings, [but] in 20 years, I was aware of maybe one or two [shootings]. There’s one or two a month now, at least. Years ago, I never saw anything,” Zach noted.
As we prepare for a new wave of Washington legislators who are ready to tackle the issue of crime from Olympia, we need to begin by combatting the lies of the Left that permeate our political culture. Proponents of this belief system often assert that poverty is the reason for crime, and thus will use welfare programs and government handouts to try to prevent criminals from committing crimes. We know that not only is that perspective completely false, but their “solutions” will inevitably lead to more crime, as we are now witnessing in our communities.
Poverty does not cause crime. A lack of virtue in one’s soul causes crime.
“People (of any income level) who rob, rape and murder do so because they lack a functioning conscience and moral self-control. It is not material poverty that causes violent crime, but poor character. But the ‘poverty causes crime’ advocates refuse to acknowledge this because such an acknowledgment blames criminals — rather than American society — for poor peoples’ violent crimes,” Dennis Prager wrote.
We know that crime will not be solved by any amount of government welfare, because poverty is not the reason criminals are driven to crime. If you want to be part of the real solution, please consider joining our team of Defenders.
- Want to Change Our Culture? 500,000 DEFENDER Prayer Warriors Are Needed.
- Want to be Heard in Olympia? 200,000 DEFENDER Activists for Political Power Are Needed.
- Want to Change Washington’s Laws? 450,000 DEFENDER Signers of Initiatives & Referendums Are Needed.
- Want Lasting Change? 1.7 Million DEFENDER Voters for Conservative Candidates Are Needed.
Join us! Please sign up to become a DEFENDER today.
(Sponsored by: FPIW Action • PO Box 5298 Lynnwood, WA 98046-5298 • 425-608-0242)
