By Timothy D. Naegele[1]

Crime is omnipresent.[2]  It's as if the inmates are running the asylum, and the sane are at their mercy.  Truly, it's the world turned upside down.  Valiant members of our law enforcement are condemned for doing their jobs.  Some literally risk their lives.[3]  Many are resigning, or are taking early retirements because they view their jobs as both dangerous and thankless.

When hoods like George Floyd are lionized, it turns one's stomach.  When the thugs, slugs, hoods and mongrels of "Black Lives Matter," Antifa and other far-Left groups can burn our cities, and kill innocent Americans including our police—without being punished—madness and anarchy reign.  Black and other businesses have been destroyed; and elderly blacks fear for their lives in public housing projects and elsewhere.

Those Americans who can afford it are leaving our cities in droves, which underscores and exacerbates the deterioration of America.  Perhaps even worse, more and more Americans have given up hope that things will get better[4]; and they are worried about loved ones traveling to or living in crime-ridden cities.

Needless to say, both friends and enemies abroad are watching the deterioration of America carefully, and responding accordingly.[5]  Once a beacon of hope and freedom to the world, America's present state is sobering to say the least.  Yet, immigrants from other countries flock here, having left their countries behind, and having braved life-threatening obstacles to get here, with many not surviving the journey.

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© 2024, Timothy D. Naegele

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[1]  Timothy D. Naegele was counsel to the United States Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and chief of staff to Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass).  See, e.g., Timothy D. Naegele Resume-21-8-6  and https://naegeleknol.wordpress.com/accomplishments/  He has an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as two law degrees from the School of Law (Boalt Hall), University of California, Berkeley, and from Georgetown University.  He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency at The Pentagon, where he received the Joint Service Commendation Medal (see, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commendation_Medal#Joint_Service).  Mr. Naegele is an Independent politically; and he is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, and Who's Who in Finance and Business.  He has written extensively over the years (see, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/articles/ and https://naegeleknol.wordpress.com/articles/), and studied photography with Ansel Adams.  He can be contacted directly at tdnaegele.associates@gmail.com

[2]  See, e.g., https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12916239/americas-bloodiest-year-mass-murders.html ("2023 was America's bloodiest ever year with 40 mass murders")

[3]  See, e.g., https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12916593/Off-duty-cop-shot-dead-confronting-three-robbers-including-teen-girl-stole-beer-North-Carolina-convenience-store.html ("Off-duty cop is shot dead while confronting three robbers")

[4]  See, e.g., https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/31/biden-trump-doomsday-rhetoric/ ("Doom dominates 2024 messaging as Trump and Biden trade dire warnings")

[5]  See, e.g., https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12875665/North-Korea-fires-nuclear-capable-missile-range-target-ENTIRE-United-States-Japan-says.html ("North Korea fires nuclear-capable missile with range to target ENTIRE United States, Japan says") and https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-12920515/ANDREW-NEIL-Putin-Xi-Kim-New-Year-threats-Wests-2024-year-despots.html ("With Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un issuing New Year threats, the West's woeful leadership crisis means 2024 could become the year of the despots")