I most certainly believe that the federal government should assist the state in fighting crime in our major cities when the need arises. 

Over the years, the crime rates in our cities have been consistently soaring with no end in sight. Homicides in Detroit, for example, have increased by 31%, and shootings have increased by 51%. In 2020, Detroit had the highest crime rate per capita in the country. 

Violent crimes like murders, shootings, vandalism, street gangs, opioid overuse, drug violence, sexual offenses, and burglary have now become so routine that ordinary Michigan residents no longer raise an eyebrow when they see this in their daily news. The fundamental, constitutional rights of life and safety that we are entitled to as citizens of our country are threatened. It has become extremely demoralizing for anyone living in these crime-stricken areas to live with peace or dignity. 

This is all in sharp contrast to the fundamental responsibility that our government has to protect the safety of its citizens. The ones who are providing us with this safety, our police departments, are themselves facing a security crisis. In the recent past alone, the city has been riled with tense encounters with multiple protests where our police officers have had to deploy tear gas and rubber bullets in response to protesters targeting them with items like fireworks, railroad spikes, or even rocks. As such, since the state and its security mechanisms were falling apart, why would we not welcome assistance from the federal government?

In saying this, I acknowledge that many people refuse any federal police in their cities. They have frequently resorted to racial politics to justify their claims, stating that the federal police are there to target black populations specifically. However, the effects of the crimes on the victims are monumental. 

The police are not here to target a certain ethnicity or race, nor are they here to oppose the freedom of speech of the protestors. All they wished to do was to create an environment where ordinary citizens like myself could live and breathe in peace and security, knowing that violent criminals that would have been roaming around the city were now behind bars.

The Department of Justice has a fantastic track record of helping states and cities in states of crisis. Through their funds and their human resources, they have previously helped several states fight crimes and reinforce the law. They have addressed pertinent issues of domestic violence, sexual offenses, child exploitation, and many more, partnering with state authorities to not only stop and prevent crime. 

In addition, this backup support is a substantial moral and physical encouragement for our brave policemen and law enforcement officers who have been working around the clock to keep us safe. To deny all these benefits simply in fear that a political movement might be affected speaks more about the movement than the federal government's intention. 

In a country where law and order come before anything else, I believe that we, as citizens of Michigan, must not get swayed by identity politics and welcome federal support when needed with open arms to create a safe and secure living environment for all of us.