To the Editor:
Congratulations to Avalon Mayor Marty Pagliughi for having the courage to stand up and do the right thing to protect our safety, quality of life, and property rights.
His curfew order is a direct reply to the increase in juvenile crime and the fact that our Gov. Phil Murphy, and his equally weak-willed Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, are more afraid of inconveniencing young criminals than protecting the rights of the citizens they were elected to protect and serve.
These politicians, playing to the cult of the easily offended, have tied the hands of police and prevented them from enforcing our laws.
NJ.com says: “State leaders have said the juvenile reforms were needed to end racial disparities among youth in the justice system and allow minors to lead productive lives.”
They go on to quote Grewal: “If we can turn a youth away from the justice system, we know they have a much better chance of turning their lives toward success in the long run.”
When young people are running wild, doing property damage, and violating the rights of taxpayers, the police are now only allowed to give them a “curbside warning” and send them on their way to do more damage.
These miscreants know that the police are toothless and that their uninvolved parents will simply say “kids will be kids,” and buy them a new BMW. God forbid they commit a crime and are called to account. It may harm their chances of getting into a nice college.
Maybe the best way to turn a kid away from the justice system, as Grewal wishes, is for these kids to not commit crimes in the first place. Knowing that actions have consequences might help this.
We wonder why we have the deterioration in the quality of life and an increase in serious crime. The answer is simple. Politicians won’t allow the police to enforce the laws we already have, but they will sanctimoniously call for newer, tougher laws and simply smile and turn their backs when radicals call for defunding the police.
I have a suggestion for Murphy and Grewal. Enforce the laws we have regardless of race. Maybe if some children of privilege see a friend going away for a stretch, it might wake them up.
For parents, I’d make this humble suggestion: “Be a parent, not a pal.”
