UPDATE - Reality Now Behind the Stats

Carjackers: 

 S F Bay area, Calif. (KRON) — Carjackers armed with guns have been searching for targets in Castro Valley. They find a victim backing her car out of her driveway in one incident recorded on a neighbor’s surveillance cameras.

The surveillance video shows armed carjackers roaming the streets early Tuesday morning looking for victims.  From: [http://opr.news/6cf023a6230817en_us?link=1&client=news]

Thieves:

Sharing what occurred to my husband and I Sunday evening about 11:50 PM. I was up watching Netflix and heard a pop sound in front of my house where I park my car. Looked through the blinds and saw a black crossover type vehicle parked next to my car. They were actually blocking the street at the intersection stop sign since I live in a corner house. Witnessed two men dressed in all black with masks and a flashlight touching and circling my car. Very organized and ‘professional’ in their approach with a ‘this is a real job’ demeanor. I shouted, “Get away from my fckn car!” as I dialed 911. They responded, “What? Are you going to come out and fight? Shut up and stay inside.” They definitely were attempting to steal my car, then broke the front passenger window to look through my glove compartment. I replied, “Police are on their way if you wanna meet them!” Then my husband and I remained inside and watched them continue to try to steal my car. Felt sick just watching them helplessly. They shined a flashlight in our direction from where they could hear my voice. They couldn’t see us, got back in their car, and drove off toward E 14th. Less than a minute, police car rolled up. Did the report and got my case number. Cop found their screwdriver on his way back to patrol car. Got the window fixed Monday morning. One thing I learned from the police officer - they’re looking in glove compartments for the car manual in hope that they’ll find a valet key. Too late, manual was stolen in Spring 2022 when my car was broken into. This last break in/attempted car theft is the third time in 18 months for my car. I’m grateful my husband and I weren’t hurt but I’m overwhelmed with concern about how much more egregious crime will get in our neighborhood. Feeling defeated. SMDH

Another party offers some suggestions:

Do not confront criminals who are pointing guns or knives at you. Let them have your property. Your property can be replaced but if you get killed, game over. Your property is not worth your physical safety especially your life.   

Two sad examples not involving weapons but getaway cars and the property owners were killed trying to hold onto their property.

A local bakery owner held onto her purse or business day's cash, she was dragged by the robber's car and she died most likely of head injuries. A young software engineer was at a Starbucks coffee shop outside at a table working on his laptop computer and someone walked up and stole his laptop. The young man ran after the thief, held onto the getaway car, was dragged, and he died most likely because of his head injuries. Criminals do not care about your physical safety considering they are in the process of stealing your purse, cash, laptop computer or cell phone. Install a PIN code or password protect your cell phone so the criminals cannot use the stolen phone. 

The screenshot is credited to KR--. I was unable to share the video.

The woman in the video is confronted by two armed men for her purse. She refuses to hand over her purse and she is pistol whipped in the head. Unfortunately and instinctively the woman holds on to her purse strap and she is dragged on the ground. Behind the car, she could have been further kicked by the criminals to release the purse. According to the news report the woman was taken to and treated at a local hospital. The criminals were probably driving all over Oakland committing strong armed robberies. Even if you are a trained martial artist or have taken self-defense classes there is no defense against one or more criminals with guns.

Copied from NextDoor app. Names redacted.

Billionaires: It was You

It was you.

You Billionaires, CEO's and racists have a stranglehold on the economy and our political processes. You are so rich that you can do pretty much whatever you want. Apparently the thing you want is 'more'; you don't have an 'enough' button.

You use political violence and threats about crimes and minorities so we won't notice what you do.

You take our money in 1,000 ways and hope we don't notice. 

It was you.

We will understand soon that Transsexual children and ethnic minorities did not take away our hope for the future. 

You use fear about minorities to distract us from what you are really doing.

What you do is steal from us. 

It was you.

trump and other racists have introduced political violence into America. You see political violence and you are afraid.

You fear that we will come for you in your bunkers and yachts, just like citizens in other countries have done before, i.e. Bolsheviks, American Revolutionary Army, French rebellion, Chinese peasants on Mao Tse Tung's long March, etc., etc.

It was you.

We have the theoretical right in the Constitution to elect people who will correct the inequalities and give us back our hope.

But you lobby actively against government programs that help working people.

You can hope that we will be quiet and fail to notice what you are doing. 

OR, perhaps we will notice and come for you.

It was you.

This confluence of events has happened before in the United States. It is not new. 

We learn from history that we can avoid a violent revolution.

It can be you.

Here is your way out:

FDR faced a similarly divided country when he entered office in March 1933. The Great Depression was in full swing and large parts of the population were suffering greatly. Our security was compromised severely. War clouds were gathering in Europe and Asia. The Russian Revolution was just about 20 years old. The Chinese Civil War began in 1927 and lasted until 1949. US unemployment was about 25 %; Americans were forced from their farms due to the Dust Bowl and many migrated West searching for some relief.

FDR wanted to provide relief for Americans' sufferings and he wanted to raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for his programs and give the people some hope. But the rich few balked at raising taxes and did not want to provide any relief to suffering Americans. Eventually FDR made a deal with the few whereby they allowed the income tax rate to go up with the proviso that there would be no tax on wealth and that taxes would be reduced when the population was better off. Keynes' book was not published until 1936 and therefore FDR was not able to suggest deficit financing to provide relief with borrowed funds.

 

It can be you.

Those higher taxes and the increased regulation on businesses paid for World War 2 and the post war rebuilding of our infrastructure. But, along about the late 1960's and early 1970's, the rich began to resent their 'tax burden and regulation burden' since the country had been rebuilt and a global peace was more secure.

They instructed their Senators and Representatives to reduce their taxes and hamstring regulations. The marginal income tax rate that was in the 79% and 80% level while we rebuilt the country was lowered to today's less than 40%.

It can be you.