Violent Crime Is Now a National Epidemic—Who Should We Blame?

U.S. President Joe Biden (right), with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland (left) and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, participates in a Gun Violence Strategies Partnership meeting at the New York Police Department Headquarters in New York on Feb. 3, 2022. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

Tens of millions of Americans are pessimistic about the state of the country. Not just Republicans, but Democrats, too. Besides the worrying state of the economy, many U.S. citizens are understandably concerned by the rise in violent crime, a coast-to-coast phenomenon that appears to be worsening.