Cotton Wins  by Tom Reynolds

In 2020, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) wrote an op-ed for the New York Times suggesting Trump should use the military to quell the BLM/Antifa riots that were then taking over American city streets. Staffers for the NY Times went berserk that this opinion – contrary to their beliefs – was published in their newspaper.  This resulted in the resignation of the editor who approved the column.

Senator Tom Cotton, Republican-Arkansas, took what appeared to be a victory lap over The New York Times as the Times reported on Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul sending troops to the Big Apple to crack down on crime in the subway system.

Following a series of violent incidents in the NY City subway system, Governor Hochul announced a new five-point safety plan that includes bringing in hundreds of National Guard troops. A combined 1,000 personnel — including 750 National Guard troops, along with MTA Police — would be deployed in the subway system to help the NYPD conduct bag checks at the entrances of busy train stations in an effort to keep weapons off trains.

“Let me just be very, very clear. These brazen, heinous attacks on our subway system will not be tolerated,” Hochul said.

What changed from Cotton’s suggested use of use of the military, other than the party of the person calling for this?  Inquiring minds – but not the NY Times - would like to know!

Interestingly, NY City Mayor Eric Adams previously insisted that crime in NY City is down and it’s the “safest big city in America.”  (If this is the safest, what is crime like in those other big cites?)

The New York Post Reports: “Subway crime spiked 45% in January compared to the same month a year prior — but dropped 15% in February, which Mayor Eric Adams credited to new NYPD patrols on the Subway…Crime on the subway is up 13% overall for the year, according to NYPD statistics.”

Just like Joe Biden claims inflation has dropped from 9% to 3%, (without mentioning who was President when it was 9%,) Adams only sees a drop from 45% to 13% (without mentioning who was Mayor when it was 45%.)

Mayor Eric Adams did try to grudgingly adhere to the ‘party line’ when he said, “I know how it plays on your psyche when you hear about some random acts of violence and that’s why we must be proactive.”

It gets even better.

After the deployment began last week, straphangers entering the subway were greeted by camouflaged and gun-toting soldiers at bag-search checkpoints in a sight reminiscent of the city after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The soldiers were carrying standard military issue M4’s, (which really ARE ‘Assault Rifles.”)  Unlike their civilian counterpart, the AR-15, (which really is NOT an Assault Rifle”) the M4s are capable of automatic fire.

All this led to complaints that state leaders were militarizing the subway system, and NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell accused Hochul of treating the subways like a “war zone.”

This led to Hochul issuing the ban on “military-grade” rifles.  Under Hochul’s new directive, some guardsmen will still be armed with ‘assault weapons’ at certain postings throughout the subway, but will not carry them at the actual bag checkpoints.

“Stop the theater!” wrote former Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik in a post on X, adding that “the NYPD knows their job” and should be left to do it.”