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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't understand why the response to OP has been to assume they want a super "tough on crime" approach that would wind up putting lots of people in jail with zero tolerance.

At least for me, that's not the case.

I am even open to a lot of the ideas to reform the criminal justice system.

I simply don't understand the current council's position, which is to ignore rising crime that is seriously impacting quality of life for constituents. I'm not saying let's adopt some draconian law and order regime and start putting people in prison for graffiti and truancy. I'm just saying: why would we lower the current sentences for violent crimes like carjacking (which is not just property theft -- I  feel very differently about having my car stolen than I do about being carjacked, especially as someone who drives around with a child in the backseat really regularly)?

I'm disappointed that any criticism of the way the council is currently handling crime, which is a Top Two issue for me as a DC resident (next to education) is viewed as being racist or assumes I just love locking people up. I don't. But I also don't love the creeping feeling I have in my neighborhood (which, yes, is in Charles Allen's ward) that I am not safe, my kids aren't safe, my neighbors and their kids aren't safe, my kid's teachers aren't safe, the person I hire to babysit isn't safe, and so on and so forth.

The current situation with crime merits a response. But instead we're getting this crime bill which has a bunch of good stuff (we really, really need to update the current code) but also has some stuff in it that I find inexplicable.[/quote]

See above. If you don't like people making baseless accusations against you then start by cutting out your baseless accusations against them.   After all the hyperbole and talking points are gone then people like you and I can have reasonable conversations.[/quote]

Where are my "baseless accusations"? Please note that I'm not the OP (though agree with some of what OP has said) and I think multiple people have posted in support of OP. [/quote]

I think that poster considers my very legitimate criticisms of the DC council’s positions on criminal justice to be framed by things like “Fox News talking points”. As though I’m sort of Trump bot, too biased to post my thoughts. I’m not. I hated trump. I hate having Congress meddle in our affairs generally.

Except I can and have pointed to very real negative outcomes from the Youth Rehabilitation Act, the Second Look act, violence interruptors, and other bills and policies that don’t really decrease violent crime.  That poster can’t even frame in a few sentence their beliefs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/second-chance-law-for-young-criminals-puts-violent-offenders-back-on-dc-streets/2016/12/02/fcb56c74-8bc1-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html

[/quote]

PP here and I agree with you. I know DCUM isn't real life but I do feel like this is a problem with this conversation in pretty much all public venues. I have private conversation with fellow (liberal, progressive) DC residents and I think your concerns are shared by many. Was just talking to my spouse and a group of 3 other friends last night -- all longtime Democratic voters, all supportive of criminal justice reform, etc. But none of us understand why this crime bill was passed in this form, both because of real flaws in the bill and also the obvious problem it was going to run into with Congress. It just doesn't make sense and IMO shows the council to be at a minimum naive, and possibly unfit for their jobs.

I think part of the problem is that people get used to shouting down the obviously bad faith and idiotic criticisms alleged by, like, Ted Cruz, and then they assume anyone criticizing the crime bill, the DC Council, etc., is also speaking in bad faith. People need to take a deep breath and remember that this city actually does have some diversity of opinion on these issues -- we are far from united on these points.

I also don't get the criticisms of Biden for saying he won't veto. He's being put in an impossible position. He doesn't want to weigh in on this bill at all and doesn't think Congress should be able to weight in. But asking him to take the step of vetoing an act of Congress (something that will get a TON of attention and actually is a big deal because it almost never happens) is so shortsighted.

Sometimes I think Republicans have already won because they are so good at effectively baiting Democrats into cannibalizing themselves. There is so little self awareness at times.[/quote]

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