Editorial: Mugging Not a Partisan Issue

Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and returned it to the states. Mere hours later registered Democrats received text messages from Joe Biden’s campaign urging them to donate money to the campaigns of Democrats and to vote “blue” to protect women’s rights.

Earlier this week, a woman was robbed on Greenwich Avenue. Mere hours later the video appeared on the Greenwich Republican Town Committee’s (RTC) Instagram account with the caption “In downtown Greenwich Connecticut, a woman is robbed in broad daylight. @ctdems want you disarmed and to be a victim. Republicans want to empower you and embrace your right to defend yourself. What is the plan to keep Connecticut residents safe?”

Not only does neither point make sense in context, but both take what should be non-partisan issues and use them to attack and defame a broad swath of the “other side” when we should all be working together trying to nd solutions to the very real challenges we face together.

Regardless of your beliefs, the majority of Americans are capable and willing to come to a compromise on women’s reproductive rights. It should not be an issue for Democrats or Republicans to use as a donation ploy. This belittles the real issues and makes honest discussions di cult.

Those running for office shouldn’t be using this issue to try and squeeze out votes, instead, they might speak with their actions; devoting time and resources to nding solutions to the very real hurdles that women still face with healthcare and reproductive rights in Connecticut today.

The video of a woman being robbed on Greenwich Avenue isn’t partisan, and it is not a situation created by partisan politics.

The comments on the video were divided.

Some critiqued the recent Police Accountability Act put forward by previous 36th district state Senator Alex Kasser (D) and others. This is a reasonable and logical line of thinking, given how the Police Accountability Act has made hiring and policing by the Greenwich Police Department and those across the state more difficult. We have previously written many editorials on the harm created by the Police Accountability Act. However, transparency is also an element of the Police Accountability Act, something that our own Police Department has been at the forefront of for a long time.

A number of people on social media have commented on the bravery of certain bystanders who stepped in and helped, we agree with their praise and thank those who rushed to the woman’s aid. Our community steps in when needed.

Several people mentioned that Connecticut needs concealed carry laws. We already have them. Connecticut has a concealed carry permit available to those who apply through the proper channels and meet all requirements. More on that can be found on CT.gov

We do question those calling for more partisanship in the wake of Roe v. Wade and after the mugging on Greenwich Avenue. By making these more partisan issues, what are you trying to achieve, and how does that x the problem at hand?

Issues that affect our whole community, which these both do; being used to divide us is a tactic that is overused and unoriginal. Instead, we should be coming together to determine what went wrong and how we can work together to solve the problem to a ect positive change for the betterment of Greenwich. And many are.

Greenwich is a community that cares about its people, bipartisanship should be at the forefront of politics in our town. Nation before party. Greenwich before party. Name calling, slandering, and mudslinging do not represent our politics and do not represent our town.

Our rights and safety are not wedge issues to divide us. We are tired of hearing about issues used over and over again in a partisan snowball fight where the only winners are those who win votes. No one should be so desperate to get votes that they harm the very community they seek to help in the process. When we as a community are divided, we all lose.

Let us all keep in mind how much we love our community and let us get back to using kindness and respect to collectively solve these very real problems.

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