Ben Shapiro: No Crime Policing = Civilian Chaos.

Why the Narrative of Crime Must Change

The Story of Jordan Neely

The media has once again found its favorite narrative: white man harms black man. This time, it features a 24-year-old white Marine from Queens attempting to suppress a 30-year-old homeless, psychotic black man, Jordan Neely, via use of a suppression hold. Neely was apparently threatening people on the subway when the Marine took him down from behind, keeping him in the suppression hold for 15 minutes; Neely died shortly thereafter.

The extraordinarily inflammatory and insipid Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., immediately rushed to Twitter in order to gin up outrage. Meanwhile, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine tweeted his condolences.

Who Was Jordan Neely?

A career criminal. He wasn’t just shouting threats at passengers — he had been arrested more than 40 times in the past. Those arrests ranged from drugs to disorderly conduct to fare beating. When he died, he carried an outstanding warrant for assaulting a 67-year-old woman. A bevy of people apparently report that he had attempted to shove people onto subway tracks more than once.

Why Was Neely Out on the Streets?

It was clear to everyone that he was a mentally ill psychotic man with a serious drug record, a rap sheet longer than the phone book and an alleged history of violent incidents. The answer is that the city of New York has decided no longer to prosecute crime.

The Consequences of Such Idiocy

The consequences of such idiocy are dire, for both the general public and for people like Jordan Neely. How long can the authorities in New York expect everyday citizens to experience hostile and violent encounters before taking action? When law enforcement is prevented from doing its job, crime rises — and citizens are forced to engage in acts of self-defense.

All of this would be perfectly obvious were Jordan Neely white and the Marine black in this case. But the narrative must be preserved — the lie that crime by minority members must be ignored for the greater good of society, lest response to such crime facilitate systemic racism. Often, it’s innocent victims who pay the price. In the case of Jordan Neely, it was the criminal himself, who never would have died were the system rational enough to have policed him decently years ago.

Conclusion

It’s time for the narrative of crime to change. We need to stop ignoring the facts and start taking action to protect our communities. We can’t let political correctness get in the way of common sense. It’s time to hold criminals accountable for their actions and keep our streets safe.