4 hours ago
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The killing of Excenia “Momma Zee” Mette stands as a double tragedy: A family — and community — lost a cherished member. And progressives lost one of the very people they claim to be looking out for, thanks to their own foolish policies.
Mette was a beloved Harlem bodega-owner and respected community leader. She had recently attended the Rev. Al Sharpton National Action Network’s annual convention.
Tuesday night, Mette was caught in a deadly gang crossfire and fatally shot in the head when she ran outside to look for her grandson after hearing gunshots.
New York simply failed to protect her — because its laws, prosecutors and judges leave violent gunmen out on the streets, free to terrorize.
They send the message that thugs will pay no price for their heinous deeds.
Now Mette’s shattered family and neighbors are crying, “When is it going to stop?”
Sadly, it won’t. Not until progressives put the rights and safety of law-abiding minorities (and others) above the interests of criminal minorities.
Indeed, by Wednesday afternoon, just hours after Mette was killed, another innocent bystander — this time 28-year-old plumber’s apprentice Marji Daoud, of Yonkers — was also fatally shot in the head when four men opened fire in The Bronx.
Don’t think such madness is inevitable: Tools like the Shotspotter, the gang database, “broken windows” policing and other more can do wonders to keep streets safe, but they’ve been targets of the city and state’s progressives.
Thug-coddling Democrats in the Legislature have resisted sensible fixes that could put violent sociopaths and recidivist gunmen behind bars. And judges and prosecutors have gone soft.
Darious Smith, a suspect in the gunfire that led to Momma Zee’s death, was out on bail at the time, facing charges he slashed two people with a box cutter. Judge Michael Ryan had lowered the prosecutor’s request for $50,000 in bail to just $10,000.
“The police are doing their job. We have to have the other parts of the criminal justice system do their job,” fumed Mayor Eric Adams.
Fact is, there’s a direct link between these latest killings, pro-crime judges and district attorneys and soft-on-crime laws (cashless bail, Raise the Age, “discovery” statutes that free perps on technicalities, etc.).
On Thursday, Mayor Adams made a big show of destroying over 3,500 illegal guns used in violent crimes — but the mayor knows it means nothing if you don’t jail the thugs holding the gun.
Progressives are steadfastly opposed to that. Their priority is protecting the perps.
And too bad for victims like Momma Zee and Marji Daoud.
Too bad for victims of color.
New Yorkers should remember that Momma Zee’s blood is on the hands of every progressive Democrat in Albany and City Hall.
Communities like Harlem need to rise up and shout: Enough is enough.
And then take their anger with them to the voting booth.
English (US)