How to Fix California’s Broken Clock Syndrome

Commentary

California’s leadership, emboldened by the tech-media-finance conglomerate, has successfully tranquilized the requisite number of citizenry via stimulus checks, dopamine manipulation (via thumbs on smartphones as much as needles in arms), and voting process updates to hold onto power indefinitely. Without a serious intervention, the political balance of power may lead us to a point where all the king’s horses and men cannot put California back together again. I have to ask the question: Is it too late already?

The political climate in the not-so-Golden State has taken on quasi-religious zeal. The Sacramento cult can be compared to those who followed the Russian religious figure Grigori Rasputin. If you recall, Rasputin is believed to have possibly manipulated the Russian Czar’s son’s hemophilia so as to be the one to deliver relief. Think of the behavior as a mutation of Munchausen’s syndrome, as many of his followers, as well as the current-day Marxist mobs, are behaving in exactly the same way (creating the problem, reaction, and solution). Why am I so optimistic you ask? Because even in the alternate reality of the California catastrophe, a broken clock is still right twice a day.

In an effort to ensure this article comports with my New Year’s resolution, I will illuminate the reader to some positive opportunities on the horizon. Further, if you agree with my assessment, I will offer you an opportunity to put your finger on a leftist pain point.

Step 1

Measure them by their deeds. Last year I was aghast to learn, let alone report on, the California Senate Public Safety’s Committee’s smothering of Senate Bill (SB) 1042. The passage of SB 1042 would have designated the crime of human trafficking as a serious and violent felony, which would be counted as a strike under California’s Three Strikes law. Yes reader, the crime of human trafficking is currently considered a non-serious, non-violent crime in California. The committee killed the bill in a manner that prevented a debate on the issue, let alone a floor vote. Those who rejected the bill in the final vote were Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and Senator Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles).

Now time for something positive—every great story needs a hero, or in this case, a heroine. SB 1042 was authored by state Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), and when I learned of the bill’s demise, I contacted her office via their public line. Guess what, they actually answered the phone! I was shocked to hear a pleasant voice asking how she could help me.

Senator Grove’s staff informed me of their disappointment with the Public Safety Committees scuttling of the bill and strongly implied that the senator wouldn’t give up. The feeling was right—she didn’t. With each new year come new opportunities. Senator Grove reintroduced the bill as SB 14, “Violent felonies: serious felonies: human trafficking.” Concerned reader, if you agree with my assessment that passage of this bill is a must for California’s women and children, you have three minutes of homework to complete today.

Step 2

Speak truth to power. The fact is that the best emails ever written are only as good as the “To’s,” the “Cc’s,” and sometimes the “Bcc’s.” You must email your State Senator or Assemblymember, Senate Public Safety committee member, as well as the heroine of this story, Senator Shannon Grove. Rather than express anger regarding the committee’s failure, we need to serve them up an opportunity for redemption or, like an episode of “Columbo,” to place their fingerprints firmly on the knife in California’s back if they fail us again.

There is also a second opportunity for the Assembly to fix something before it’s broken. Enter Assembly Bill 32, titled “Violent felonies: hate crimes.” As you might imagine, when you run a large Law Enforcement Division, the precision of the language inserted into penal code is of critical importance. A crime must fit the penal code, not shop the penal code in search of a crime. This being said, take a second and imagine what you think a hate crime is. Most of us feel exactly the same way—criminal motivation fueled by hate is wrong. Now I will tell you about the problem with Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen’s (D-Elk Grove) bill. Her team failed her when they helped her research and author a bill that would take a series of misdemeanor offenses and immediately turn them into strike offenses under the Three Strikes law.

The bill turns misdemeanor violations of penal code 422.7 into violent felonies. Talk about passing go and going directly to jail (a Monopoly board game reference if you’re under 35). For example, if you can prove to a jury that a trespasser who threw a rock at a window had animus in his or her heart, the defendant is now subject to the most stringent sentencing guidelines the state has to offer.

I am a fervent supporter of the Three Strikes Law, and under the spirit of its intent, I feel certain that its authors would be more comfortable with those who traffic human beings being subject to penalties that may lead to life in prison than a fist fight without injury or a simple vandalism. Sacramento Marxists are in a competition to be the first to make a sacrifice on the altar of Wokeness. In all their rush, they fail to understand (or possibly care) how our system of justice works and the implications of their actions or inaction. Let’s educate them by making our voices heard. If the extreme left can get several thousand folks to stay up all night vandalizing cities with a single tweet, I don’t think it’s too much to ask of the citizens that still care about this state to send an email.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.