September 12, 2019 (American Thinker) — Last week, the politicians on the County Council of Montgomery County, Maryland emailed a statement to county residents responding to the wave of seven sexual assaults since July 25, allegedly carried out by illegal aliens under the protection of their “sanctuary county” policy. They are reacting defensively to criticisms such as this:
Rather than address their own responsibility for harboring criminals who inflicted life-changing harm on seven of their innocent constituents, they crudely demonized those who have called attention to their neglect to serve the public who pay their salaries and their tolerance of illegality.
To understand the extent of their disgrace, examine the statement text with my comments embedded in italics:
Protecting our County and our Communities
Montgomery County is committed to building and maintaining a safe and inclusive community for our residents. Understanding, tolerance, and respect are hallmarks of Montgomery County. Social justice for all is what we strive to achieve in our County. This means that the politicians on the council prioritize their vision of social justice over the safety and well-being of the legal residents, who have suffered appalling harm. Their virtue-signaling is more important than the lifetime of nightmares, panic attacks, and emotional trauma of the victims.
Rape and sexual assault are despicable acts of violence and aggression that unfortunately occur across all cultures and communities. But such crimes are far more common in some cultures (and subcultures) than others. Our immigration laws are in place to protect us from alien criminals who have criminal histories in their home countries. Blocking enforcement of those immigration laws allows unvetted people, including those with criminal backgrounds, to live among the law-abiding citizenry and prey on them.
As local elected officials, public safety has and will always be our top priority. No. Obviously, virtue-signaling is the top priority. Montgomery County has a Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program that aids rape and sexual assault survivors in our community, and we fully support the work of these programs. Good for you! But such services would have been necessary had the illegal aliens been deported, as they might have been had Montgomery County not obstructed federal law enforcement. Ask any victim of a sexual assault if she would prefer remaining unmolested to enjoying the benefits of Montgomery County's Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program.
The recent crimes of rape and the sexual assaults that have occurred in Montgomery County are horrendously vile acts, and the alleged perpetrators of these crimes are currently going through the legal process and will receive their judgements in court. Locking the barn door after the horses have been stolen. Cold comfort to the victims who will still bear the lifetime burden of their assaults. The Montgomery County Police Department arrests and the State's Attorney's Office prosecutes individuals who commit violent criminal acts in our community. We rely on and support them as they work together to deliver justice to rape and sexual assault victims and their families.
There has been a lot inaccurate information spread by the White House, President Trump, Acting USCIS Director Ken Cuccinelli, local and national conservative news outlets and neo-Nazi sympathizers regarding our criminal justice system and its process. This vile slander is outrageous. Senior government officials lumped together with “neo-Nazi sympathizers,” as if only Nazis want to enforce our immigration laws! And no specifics whatsoever about the purported inaccurate information. A baseless slander is utterly irresponsible. These individuals and organizations should be ashamed for spreading false information (again, no examples) seeking to establish a baseless, illogical and xenophobic connection between a person's failure to obtain legal status and their propensity to commit a sex crime. People who break one law are indeed more likely to break other laws. This is the basis of the “broken windows” approach to policing that saved thousands of lives in New York City alone, by prosecuting violations of smaller laws, and consequently taking Gotham's murder rate down to a small fraction of what it had been prior to Mayor Giuliani taking office. Illegal aliens account for one in five U.S. prison inmates, a highly disproportionate rate of criminal activity, indicating an actual statistical propensity to commit crime. Facts are facts, not xenophobia.
Montgomery County has earned a reputation as a great place to live, work and raise a family, not despite of, but because of who we are. Right now, Montgomery County is earning a reputation as a dangerous place for sexual assaults, because of the politicians' encouragement and support of lawlessness. We are teachers, scholars, scientists, engineers and our small businesses power the engines of our economy. I guess blue collar workers are unworthy of notice. We will not be defined by a racist paintbrush designed to stoke unreasonable fear and tensions in our county.
Hat tip: Roger Luchs.
Published with permission from the American Thinker.