Last year, extremists terrorized cities in the name of racial justice. This year, the far Left has again shown its true colors in the recent stimulus debate. Democrats made it clear they're siding with lawbreakers, not with the victims of violent crimes.
Recently, Republican Sens. Tom Cotton and Bill Cassidy offered an amendment to the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill to ensure illegal immigrants and violent criminals in prison wouldn't be able to receive $1,400 checks. It was a good amendment, but unfortunately, it failed. Now, President Biden's irresponsible stimulus package will send stimulus checks to imprisoned murderers, rapists, and child molesters.
In Wisconsin, state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo and I introduced a bill that would ensure victims get paid for their pain before criminals get to spend stimulus dollars to benefit themselves.
Sadly, the tired attack that it is somehow racist not to coddle criminals has resurfaced in this debate. It is indicative of a completely skewed mindset toward racial issues. Liberals and the media want to make everyone think the word "criminal" is synonymous with "black person." That isn't the case. We do no favors to black people by unjustly enriching criminals.
The activists behind the radical push to "defund the police" conveniently forget that a disproportionate number of crime victims are nonwhite. Last year in Milwaukee, for example, 74% of homicide victims were black. This year, that number is at 90%. Yet, only about 39% of Milwaukee residents are black. Statewide in Wisconsin, black people accounted for 18% of all sexual assault victims in 2019, but we only make up about 7% of the population.
I won't let the people who have experienced such pain and loss be forgotten.
Despite the drama, I remain hopeful that Gov. Tony Evers and Democrats in our state will join with us as we do our part to help make victims whole. We should all stand behind those men and women who have been terrorized by perpetrators who have demonstrated that they have no regard for law and order.
Julian Bradley is a Wisconsin state senator and the first black Republican to serve in that position.
