I’m Apolitical, but I Don’t Love New York’s Bail Reform
I’m apolitical. Really, I am. I’m usually pretty oblivious to politics. But sometimes certain issues sort of slap you in the face, and you start thinking about them. For instance, I am for a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body. Luckily, I’ve never been in the position that I would have to make such a decision, but if I was I would certainly want to have a say in what was to happen with my body and my life. That being said… I believe what I believe and it has nothing to do with right or left.
So if I’m pro choice, does that mean I also have to be pro bail reform? Because all of the political commercials seem to indicate that I must choose a party that is either pro both of those things or anti both of those things. But I’m not. And I’m so apolitical that when I heard about bail reform before it happened, I didn’t even think about whether I was for or against it. But now that I’m living with it, I’m pretty sure I’m against it.
I’ve read that the numbers don’t indicate a connection that a rise in crime is because of bail reform, but the news stories say otherwise. I live in the city of Poughkeepsie, and I’m sorry, but I want the criminals off the streets. If it’s an even playing field that we’re looking for, how about some sort of sliding scale for bail. How about you make bail super high for wealthier criminals? How about if you’re going to commit a crime, you make sure you're ready to pay the price? How about that? Shouldn’t there be some kind of punishment for someone who has allegedly committed a crime, especially a repeat offender? In my book, yes.
This isn’t a political issue for me. It’s an issue of public safety. It’s an issue of keeping our cities crime free. I’m so tired of hearing about a crime that was committed by someone who was set free even though they have a rap sheet as long as a roll of toilet paper. Am I political? Nope. Am I concerned about my neighborhood? Yes. Things need to change and fixing this bail reform problem may be a good start.
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