The Burning of Bethany Magee; What one more horrific attack reveals about violence, failure, and our fraying social compact.

 The American Spectator

"Duffy noted that Reed had 72 prior arrests and wrote on X: "This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars. Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the streets. Chicago’s carelessness is putting the American people at risk. No one should ever have to fear for their life on the subway.' "  Newsweek

"I’m haunted by what happened to Bethany MaGee. Haunted by how, in the midst of something as ordinary as a subway journey, she found herself doused with gasoline and set ablaze. Haunted that she’s now in a burn unit fighting for her life. Haunted at the thought that, even if she survives, she’ll likely be scarred for life, not simply from the burns themselves, but from the emotional trauma. 

"Haunted, and also deeply, bitterly outraged. I recently wrote about the murders of Iryna Zarutska and Logan Federico, young women, like Bethany, attacked by strangers in moments when they should have been safe and secure. Writing that article, I wanted to conclude by saying “never again,” and yet I couldn’t. Not because the message didn’t need saying, but because I knew, deep down, that “never again” was tempting fate.

"And so it has come to pass. Yet another innocent young woman horrifically attacked. Yet again attacked by someone who should never have been out on the street to do the attacking, someone who’d been arrested over and over again, and yet spat back out by a system unwilling to confront the fact that some people simply cannot be allowed to share space with the rest of society. Yet another failure of our mental health care system, but above all, of our justice system. 

"When I wrote of Iryna and Logan, I wrote, despairingly, of the need for young women to arm themselves along with all the other vulnerable members of society, the elderly, the disabled, and anyone else lacking the physical wherewithal of a Chuck Norris or a Jacky Chan. I evoked the message of Chicago’s favorite liberal columnist, Mike Royko, who, decades ago, in response to a similar horror, turned away from his anti-gun ideology and counseled young women to arm themselves. 

"Frankly, both then and now, this represents the counsel of despair. Make no mistake — in the present moment I would very much prefer to see armed women to dead or dying ones. And I agree with the point made long ago by Royko, that having a woman blow away her attacker would have a salutary effect on the problem. It would eliminate one predator, and it might serve as a deterrent to others. It might also encourage progressive judges, the kinds who seem hell-bent on returning predators to the streets, to perhaps explore some other options, if only to protect their “pets,” the violent criminals who they few as unfortunate victims of the “system.”

"But I entertain no illusions on this score. The necessary training and the constant situational awareness and the stress of cycling between self-defense guru Jeff Cooper’s “Condition Yellow” and “Condition Orange” represents a burden no honest citizen should be expected to maintain on a daily basis. In our current cultural climate, a successful act of self-defense would likely bring down the harpies of victimhood on the side of the dead attacker, not the woman who defended herself. Worst of all, for any normal person, taking a life, even as an act of self-defense, almost always carries a lifelong burden all its own.". . .

What happened to Bethany MaGee? Riley Gaines demands arrest of judges who freed suspect Lawrence Reed with 72 prior arrests   

"They would rather sacrifice more American lives before ever admitting their failed policies caused her death They will never confront the extremism that led to an American hero being murdered."

Here's What's Really 'Unholy' About Chicago's Brandon Johnson 

"As part of his efforts to end such "racist" and "unholy" practices in his city, Johnson also did away with the ShotSpotter program in September 2024 — despite pleas and warnings from aldermen, victims' advocates, and community members."

. . . "Back before Johnson pulled the plug on ShotSpotter, Alderman Silvana Tabares issued a stark warning. "Starting tonight, every gunshot victim left bleeding in the streets of our city will be a worthy sacrifice in the eyes of the mayor for his radical agenda. Every single one.”