Don't throw stones at your neighbors if your own windows are glass.
Benjamin Franklin
Working as a swing shift Supervisor, my team often becomes the fall guys for problems we did not create. It is easier for others to point fingers than to look inward. I reminded my crew that before we criticize, we must first ask: Is our own house in order?
I thought about this lesson as I watched an interview with Congressman Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina. In voicing his support of sending National Guard troops to fight crime in large cities within Blue states, Norman exclaimed, The numbers speak for themselves. After specifically mentioning Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, he stated, "Let the politicians complain about those who want to keep them safe."
The problem for Norman is that the numbers tell a story more nuanced than the one Republicans are trying to sell to the American people. With a homicide rate of 21.7 per 100,000, Chicago is the least safe city on his list, but there are seven cities, including four in Red States, that had a higher rate last year. The rate for St. Louis, Missouri, was more than double that of Chicago.
When the homicide rate of states are compared, those dominated by Republicans are considerably less safe than their Democratic counterparts. Normans, South Carolina, is the sixth most dangerous in the country when measured by its homicide rate. This should not be surprising, as seven of the states with the highest murder rates are Red. The swing state on this list, North Carolina, voted for Trump in the last election.
It is interesting to note that three of the six Republican-led states that have sent National Guard troops to Washington D.C. as part of Trump's crackdown on crime are among the ten most dangerous states in the country. South Carolina is sending 200 troops, Louisiana is sending 135 soldiers, and Tennessee is sending 160 Guardsmen. If indeed National Guard troops could help reduce crime, wouldn't these resources be better spent addressing their own problems?
On the other side of the spectrum, six of the safest states are Blue. This includes New Hampshire, which is in the top position with a homicide rate of just one. None of these states has sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
When Homicide Rates are averaged, the states that voted for Kamala Harris are shown to be noticeably safer than those that voted for Donald Trump:
Assigning homicide rates by party affiliation can make for easy soundbites, but it distracts from the real question: Why is America's murder rate so high compared to the rest of the developed world? In 2023, our national rate stood at 5.76 per 100,000; more than double Canada's, and far higher than most peer nations. So much for American Exceptionalism.
Perhaps our elevated homicide rate has something to do with our country's obsession with firearms. While guns may not kill people, having access to them certainly provides a means. Instead of militarizing our cities, we should be having a conversation about common-sense gun laws. Expanding background checks, closing loopholes, and limiting access to military-grade weapons will keep Americans safer than sending soldiers to patrol our streets.
If we are serious about reducing violence, we should stop throwing stones across state lines and start putting our own house in order together.
