Let’s face it: When CNN decides it can’t ignore the carnage in Oakland, some serious civic self-examination is required. And the diagnosis might be that Oakland has been terminally Gavinated. The news outlet devoted a segment to the subject of a resident who is fleeing the city because of the chaos and those that are trying to cope.
One part of the story chronicles the struggles of Kristin Cook, a lifelong Oakland resident, who is being forced to up-stakes because of the insanity, which has the Oakland chapter of the NAACP calling for an emergency declaration. Cook told CNN, “I love Oakland. It’s very hard for me and my son. Especially my son. I can’t take it anymore. I got to the point I was too scared to leave my house.” The impetus for her departure? The rampant crime, including assaults, break-ins, robberies, and home invasions. CNN reported that the residents their reporters talked to said that everyone is being targeted by crime.
By contrast, the piece also profiled Toni Bird, who is opting to stay in Oakland in a home behind a locked gate and covered by five security cameras. Even after the city suggested that residents add steel braces to their doors and equip themselves with…air horns? The rationale is that if you experience a crime such as a home invasion, you can fire your air horn, which theoretically should cause your neighbors to set off theirs, drawing more attention to the situation. Color me unconvinced since her neighbor was shot to death in June. He was trimming a tree in front of his house during the day, no less. Bird says she is looking for a place where “elderly women with children are not targeted.” She has faith that things will get better. The owner of the local Ace Hardware store met with CNN just hours after his store was broken into. The thieves went after the cash register and the safe. He loses 10% of his merchandise to theft and has taken to leaving his cash registers empty and open. He said that crimes are becoming more brazen and violent and that the average response time for the police is around 45 minutes, adding that that estimate might even be “fast.” Residents of all races are getting fed up. Darren White, a member of the local NAACP, wants crimes to be prosecuted, so long as that prosecution is “fair and just.” The Oakland NAACP sent an open letter to city officials blaming the massive crime spike on failed leadership, the “defund the police” movement, and anti-police rhetoric.
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You might want to tell your left-wing family members and friends about Oakland and even forward them this story. And you may want to do it before Gavin Newsom takes his shot at the presidency. And make no mistake, he is licking his lips just thinking about it. Under Newsom’s aegis, the entire nation will be at risk of becoming Oakland. That is if we aren’t already there by then.
