Victims of Violent Crime Hearing in Manhattan
House republicans on Monday held a hearing on the lack of prosecution of violent crimes in NYC. In attendance were actual victims, victims support groups, representatives of the NYPD, a sitting democrat councilman and gun control advocates. It is unusual for the house to hold hearings outside of Washington DC and many were quick to call this hearing political retribution against Bragg. For sure there is some truth to that but one has to ask, was anything republicans or the victims said false? The facts say no.
Democrats on the panel though treading lightly seemed more consumed with dismissing the hearing than actually listening to the witnesses. One witness, Barry Borgen, whose son was beaten in an anti Semitic attack in Times Square called out Nadler and Schumer by name for the lack of condemnation of the attack or responding when he contacted their office. An audience member of a victims group had to be escorted out by capitol police when he interrupted the proceedings yelling at democrats, angry they were belittling the victims in attendance.
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An out spoken mother of man brutally stabbed by a group of people, Madeline Brame, reminded democrats they worked for them not the other way around and took offence to being called a prop. Witness Barry Borgen took issue with democrats saying the hearing was politicised pointing out the 4 years democrats politicised hearings. Republicans were measured in their questioning focusing solely on the victims and the possible misuse of federal funds by local prosecutors. There was never a comparison of the victims with Trumps prosecution. Some did seek to score some political zingers, looking at you Matt Gaetz, but they fell flat.
Most of the witnesses testifying in this hearing were either minority or in a marginalised group, people who democrats remind us they champion. But not that day, in this hearing they were "misguided", "uninformed" or too dumb to know they were being "used". As per democrats NYC was safer then ever which prompted witness Madeline Brame to ask them "Who do I believe, you or my lying eyes?"
The way this hearing was conducted, it will be difficult to say it was to interfere with Trumps prosecution. Local prosecutors get federal funds and if those prosecutors are not prosecuting crimes or administering the law evenly, the federal government has a say. Some pointed out districts of republican members were statistically more dangerous than NYC. While that may be true, the point of this hearing was DA's that don't prosecute crime and how that causes crime to rise. Democrats also tried to make it about guns but republicans and the witnesses themselves confirmed none in attendance were victims of gun crime.
When you have minority and marginalised groups, a sitting NY democrat councilman and a representative of NYPD detectives tell you a local DA is a problem, perhaps it's wise to put politics aside and listen. While Trump may have been the spark for this hearing, the issues are real.