America’s crime wave tests both parties

One of the lessons of the past two years — and one that will come in handy in 2022 — is that when problems are real, playing political games and twisting the truth does not help to solve them. That seemingly self-evident bit of wisdom, ignored with deadly results by the previous administration, should stand as the centerpiece in another major challenge — the battle against the rise in violent crime across in the United States.

Whether you prefer Democrats or Republicans, the key here is solving the problem: stemming the rise in violence that is leaving thousands of Americans dead and millions more feeling vulnerable and unsafe.

The murder rate in the US exploded in 2020, up 30% from 2019, according to provisional numbers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was the largest single-year increase in 100 years (although it’s well below the homicide rates of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s). The numbers have continued to rise in 2021, although at a slower rate. Other types of crime also increased but not as much as murder.

Gun violence surges across the US

No developed country has more guns than the US, and guns are being used in an even larger number of murders. When guns are brandished in a fight or in a robbery, the chance that someone dies is much greater.

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