The crisis of the coronavirus-induced economic lockdown and now the violent protests in the streets have unleashed a depression-level financial crisis and unprecedented human suffering -- especially in our inner cities. These events have also exposed a Grand Canyon-sized chasm that now separates how the left and the right see America today.
Newly painted in huge yellow letters on 16th Street, just north of the White House, is the slogan: "Defund the Police."
That new message sits beside the "Black Lives Matter" slogan, also in huge letters, painted there at the direction of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Twenty-seven percent (27%) of Likely U.S. Voters think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey for the week ending June 4, 2020.
Belief that blacks are treated unfairly by police and that police discrimination is a bigger issue than inner city crime have jumped to new highs.
In surveys last week, this is what America told Rasmussen Reports...
Few things are more terrifying than the unknown, as we are discovering as we struggle to navigate, avoid and (if we fail to avoid) survive a mysterious new virus. That goes double when reliable information is hard to come by; it is unquantifiably worse without credible leadership.
More voters than ever are regular Internet users, with over one-third of those under 40 now saying their political opinions are influenced by social media. Most continue to believe social media like Facebook and Twitter divide us as a nation.
The vast majority of Americans say their home states have begun to loosen their coronavirus lockdowns, with just over half reporting that someone in their immediate family has been able to return to work.
In his statement to The Atlantic magazine, former Defense Secretary General James Mattis says of the events of the last 10 days that have shaken the nation as it has not been shaken since 1968:
"We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers."
"America is burning. But that's how forests grow." So spoke Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.
"Riots are an integral part of the country's march towards progress." So read a now-deleted tweet from the Democratic Committee of Fairfax County, Virginia, the affluent Washington suburb with a population of 1 million.
Most Americans continue to give high praise to their local police and approve of their tactics. But following George Floyd’s death, they’re more critical of police-involved killings.
Harris, Demings leads our list of contenders; Biden is wise to wait on making his pick.
— Joe Biden should not be in a rush to name his vice presidential pick. Circumstances may change his list of contenders — and probably already have.
— A predictable name leads our list, but a not-so predictable name is second.
— Biden has many plausible options, but no perfect one.
Democrats tend to think it’s too hard to vote in America which explains their strong support for mail-in ballots and are much stronger advocates than other voters of restoring the voting rights of felons who have served their sentences.
Voters are more critical of the police response to the latest outburst of black protest nationwide but also tend to agree with President Trump that the so-called “antifa” movement thought to be behind much of the violence should be labeled as terrorists.
"No justice, no peace!" they shout. Then they break windows.
It makes me furious.
But then I watch the video of the Minneapolis cop kneeling on George Floyd's neck, while Floyd repeatedly says, "I can't breathe," and three other officers just watch.
Dear law-abiding Americans:
You have done nothing wrong.
Being white is not a crime. Being a Trump voter is not a crime. Being a police officer sworn to "protect and serve" every day is not a crime. Being a non-white police officer proud to uphold and enforce law and order is not a crime. Being a black or brown or yellow American who rejects excusing criminal behavior is not a crime.
The Rasmussen Reports Immigration Index for the week of May 24-28, 2020 stands at 101.4, up from 98.5 the week before.
Voters in so-called Blue Democratic-run states are more likely than those in Red GOP-led states to say their state finances are worsening. No wonder Democrats are much bigger fans of federal bailouts of financially troubled states than other voters are.
The recovery stage for our economy is finally here, and now the policy priority has to shift to getting people back on the job and getting businesses up and running. The best incentive to get businesses hiring again and get workers off unemployment is to suspend the payroll tax for the rest of the year.
On the fifth night of rioting, looting and arson in Minneapolis, the criminal elements were driven from the streets.
By whom? By the same cops who had been the constant objects of media derision and mob hatred.
