Letter to the editor: The facts state otherwise

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James Kissee’s letter in The Reflector on March 23 is another example of twisted facts and outright lies to fit a political agenda. One example (and only one): He says that crime is out of control, and we have the highest crime rate in history due to Democrat policies. The facts say otherwise. Violent crime in the U.S. peaked in the 1970s to 1980s. In the early 1990s, per capita violent crime began to decline. It continued to decline until 2018 (note who was president then) when it began to increase again. It has increased each year since 2018 but is still below the peak in the late 1980s when Ronald Reagan was president. It is vital to remember that the president has little to do with intrastate politics where the greatest decisions in law enforcement are made. Comparing per capita violent crime rate by state reveals that of the 10 most violent states, seven are Republican and three are Democrat. Of the 10 least violent states, two are Republican and eight are Democrat. Republicans have done a masterful job of selling themselves as the party of “law and order,” but the facts state otherwise.   

Bruce McClay, 

Battle Ground