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OPINION

Enough Is Enough: It's Time to Take Back Our Streets From Criminals

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
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AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

The streets of America are in chaos. Amidst the chaos, young people are taking advantage of the situation to loot and destroy stores, with no regard for the safety of others. Videos of these ruthless thieves have gone viral, showing them ransacking stores and taking whatever they can get their hands on. The cost of this "smash-and-grab" behavior is staggering, with stores losing billions of dollars. And who ultimately pays the price? The consumers, of course, as the cost is passed on to them. It's a frightening and dangerous situation that shows no signs of stopping.

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As the chaos on the streets continues to escalate, the criminals have become bolder than ever. In broad daylight, they are now stealing with impunity. Recently, a video went viral of a group of young men stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from an Apple store on Black Friday. Astonishingly, the patrons and store employees told the thieves to take what they wanted and not to interfere. This is the state of our society today: We are allowing people to steal without any consequences. What kind of example are we setting for our children? What kind of standards are we saying are acceptable?

If we continue to tolerate petty theft, it will only lead to worse consequences. Some of these young people will escalate to robbing innocent people, breaking into homes and putting all of our lives at risk. We must set examples and impose punishments to show our young people that this kind of behavior is unacceptable. The normalization of theft has the potential to lead to even more dangerous and costly crime, placing a further burden on our society. We must take action now, before it's too late.

It is clear that relying solely on law enforcement is not an effective solution to the problem of petty theft and other crimes. We must take steps to create opportunities for young people so they can lead fulfilling and productive lives. This means investing in education, job training and other programs that can help them develop the skills and values they need to thrive.

It is essential that we as a society focus on instilling the values of hard work, perseverance and discipline in our young men. These values are the building blocks of a successful and harmonious society. Without them, we may see an increase in violence and attacks on innocent, hardworking people. Nobody should have to live in fear for their possessions or their lives because of the actions of individuals who lack respect for the efforts of others. It is crucial that we prioritize teaching these values and creating a society where everyone can live in peace and security.

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When it comes to protecting our society and streets from crime, some have suggested redirecting funds from law enforcement to therapists. Don't get me wrong, mental health is vital, but it is only a prophylactic. Therapists can't stop a deranged individual with a gun from committing a violent act, nor can they persuade a thief to abandon their criminal intentions. Force is often necessary to prevent ongoing violent crimes. And while no amount of conversation can replace the impact of force on an ongoing criminal act, investing in mental health services can help prevent crimes from happening in the first place. That's why we need to empower law enforcement to enforce the laws that keep us safe and invest more in mental health services.

Over the past few years, law enforcement has been under attack. As a result, many officers are hesitant to intervene when they see crimes being committed. But what will those who seek to destroy society do when they are victims of crime? When their homes are robbed or their children are in danger, will they still think that it's OK for criminals to run rampant? I doubt it. And yet, some in our society continue to advocate for policies that will ultimately harm them. When they realize the impact of their actions, I believe they will change their minds. It's time for us to support law enforcement and put a stop to the destruction of our society.

It's time for us to take a stand and establish clear standards for behavior in our society. We must prohibit breaking the law, taking what doesn't belong to us and causing harm to innocent people. These standards are simple and easy for everyone to follow, and they would create a more harmonious society. If we don't take action to stop criminal behavior, we risk normalizing it and putting our young people on a path toward destruction. Let's set standards that our forefathers would be proud of and give our young people the opportunity to succeed rather than lead them down a path of destruction.

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