July 4th Terror – On the Streets of Downtown
For three nights, and counting, there have been hours-long rolling gun battles on the streets of downtown St. Louis. The holiday weekend saw 20 shootings in St. Louis, with one fatality. Seven (7) people were shot in what police called a ‘mass shooting’ near Kiener Plaza following the fireworks display at the Arch.
Beleaguered downtown residents feel abandoned because they say police left downtown before the shooting began and were very slow to return. Police dispute this and have defended their response. Taken altogether, people were hurt, a person was killed, and people are angry and near despair over the deteriorating state of St. Louis public safety.
Lest anyone claim that this report is exaggerated or invented, see the videos that were taken by residents and concert-goers and shared with APAL via Citizens for a Greater Downtown. From X: https://x.com/pbmizzou/status/1809096172482560151
The police department was slow to react
The police department was very slow to acknowledge that these terrifying events had occurred and only did so when confronted with video of the night’s attacks. This delay (almost half a day) probably explains why Mayor Jones was also slow to react. When she did speak up, she issued a statement through her spokesperson calling the events ‘tragic’ and offering condolences to the victims. She went on to decry the easy access to guns in Missouri.
Diligent searches did not reveal any comments from Board of Aldermen President Megan Green or Congresswoman Cori Bush, despite the fact that both women represent the people affected by these events.
Notably, Dr. Green and Congresswoman Bush are also the two leading elected proponents of Defund the Police policies.
President Megan Green’s silence
Megan Green’s silence on this violence in the City that she helps run is notable because, in the last 60 days, she has spoken out often and strongly on many topics.
Among the issues Green has expressed grave concern are:
the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza;
contributions to Wesley Bell from Jewish people and organizations (Bell is challenging Cori Bush for Congress)’
her calls on Washington University (her part-time employer) to:
End their academic relationship with Boeing
Return land that Washington University occupies to the native American tribes
Begin making Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to St. Louis and University City in exchange for services provided by those communities
that Democrats should replace President Biden on the ticket with Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
But President Green has not uttered a word about the tragedies unfolding on the streets of St. Louis and what the Board of Aldermen (which she leads!) should do to stem this violence.
Congresswoman Bush’s silence on these shootings is equally disturbing
Over the 4th of July holiday, at least 20 people were shot in Cori Bush’s congressional district. You read that right—20 people were shot, including a 13-year-old. One has died and several others are in critical condition.
Cori Bush wants to Defund the Police
Cori Bush is also an unapologetic proponent of Defund the Police tactics. In 2022, Bush told the Washington press corps she was never going to stop using that slogan. She said Defund the Police means diverting funds away from police departments and toward social services.
Bush: Safety for me, not for you
Many constituents are most concerned about Congresswoman Bush’s hypocrisy on this subject. While people in the neighborhoods clamor for more police protection, Bush supports the City’s current efforts to reduce spending on police. But in the past year, it has come to light that Bush has spent more than $750,000 on personal security. A significant portion of that was paid to Bush’s husband which has prompted a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice to determine if Bush criminally misused funds. The investigation is on-going.
St. Louisans want Cori Bush to be safe. And they want to be safe, as well.
— Nancy Rice
P.S.: In next week’s issue, we will look at the experience of other cities which have adopted Defund the Police strategies and attempt to examine the impact that these policies have had on citizens’ safety and happiness.
