Seattle residents urged to call 911 if called racist names during coronavirus pandemic

Seattle residents urged to call 911 if called racist names during coronavirus pandemic
Carmen Best (Image: Twitter screen grab)

On March 24, 300 inmates were released from New York City’s Rikers Island in response to the coronavirus. A week later, the state of California bested that number, freeing 3,500 prisoners for the same reason. Among that last number were 14 felons convicted of murder or of being involved in a murder. Elsewhere, police are being ordered to stand down when lesser crimes like theft are committed.

But one liberal locality is still enforcing disciplinary actions for crimes viewed as serious. According to Fox News, the police chief of Seattle is instructing residents to call 911 if called racist names during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Washington state is no place for hate. In a show of solidarity between police and community, I’m joined today by Lori Matsukawa,” Chief of  Police Carmen Best said, referring to the retired KING 5 news anchor who joined her in the video.

“Hate crimes have no place in our community,” Matsukawa continued. “We’re better than that, Washington. We’re all trying to deal with the COVID-19 public health crisis together. If you are a victim of a hate crime or hate-based harassment, please call 911.”

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The article imputes the message to a putative “uptick in incidents of bias against Asian-Americans, who say they are being blamed for the coronavirus, which originated in China.” But one can’t help wonder whether the allegations hark back to the federal case the Left made after the president (1) imposed a travel ban between the U.S. and China and (2) his reference to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus.” In a city where Trump’s name is a four-letter word, it’s not hard to make that assumption.

Ben Bowles

Ben Bowles

Ben Bowles is a freelance writer and regular contributor to "Liberty Unyielding."

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