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Pragmatism vs. Ideology – Why Rule of Law Should Not Be Political

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Pragmatism vs. Ideology – Why Rule of Law Should Not Be Political

By Marc Ang

In 2016, I was a victim of crime. This came shortly after the passage of Prop 47 when , certain violent and property crimes increased due to lighter sentencing. For me, the result was having my  pickup truck stolen. Twelve days later it would be found stripped apart in Compton. Sadly, this was a statistic all too common in the city of Cerritos. Older vehicles were stolen due to the fact property crimes (especially those under a certain dollar amount) were hardly ever prosecuted. While thankful to not be the victim of a more serious crime, I can still clearly remember the pain I felt, losing some personal possessions, like my favorite pair of bowling shoes and snow boots and the cherished suit I had just picked up from the dry cleaners that was a treasured gift from my now deceased father.

While the loss I felt paled in comparison to those felt by those who have lost loved ones, the common denominator remains — rule of law must be enforced. Recently, there have been moves for a more “compassionate reform” to the prosecution of crime, but where is the compassion to victims of crime. Where is the notion of personal responsibility and holding habitual criminal offenders accountable for their actions?

In a Press Release issued by Criminal Justice Legal Foundation President Michael Rushford, he compared crimes reported in 1992 with 2011, when there was tougher sentencing for habitual felons.  There were 932,996 (45%) fewer of the seven major crimes, 190,681 (55%) fewer violent crimes, and 2,129 (54%) fewer murders. “That’s almost one million fewer victims when we were enforcing tough sentencing.” 2011 was also the year that repeat offenders did not receive increased sentences and “low level” crimes such as property theft or drug offenses had reduced sentences. This leniency extended to many theft and drug crimes not even being reported, creating a culture of fear and complacency in not only the inner cities but also suburban enclaves like Cerritos, which I personally experienced.

So why are we going backwards? Because we seem to forget about real data and results in this day and age. It is a well-documented fact that stronger sentencing deters crime. Isn’t prevention the best cure?

But we have an ideological District Attorney that is now refusing to prosecute crimes, especially misdemeanors. Some of these misdemeanors were felonies at one time, but now crimes just continue to redefined and the threshold for a felony only increasing to the benefit of the criminal. Not only are we experiencing lighter (or no) sentencing, but on his first day in office, Gascon went against the will of the voters, who voted to retain cash bail (No on 25), by a 56-44 landslide vote, just two months before.

The practical reality is sentencing now doesn’t fit the crime, especially with repeat offenders. This revolving door of criminals (who now get seen with “fresh eyes”) actually go out and commit more crimes, some not even reported, especially property crimes against businesses just forced to take the loss. This was only further compounded in the case of the inmates released into the streets due to coronavirus and were swiftly readmitted after they committed crimes once released. 

Rocky Lee Music was charged with carjacking a Prius about 40 minutes after he was released, and then abandoning it to carjack another person. Owen Aguilar set nine fires less than a week after his release, including setting fire to a homeless man’s tent. Another man who was charged with a series of school burglaries was released without bail, but was quickly rearrested after another series of crimes which included stealing 23 cars from a car rental agency.

Now, violent 17 year-old repeat offenders are tried as juveniles. At the same time, Gascon is encouraging motions to release any defendant that has served 15 years, regardless of the crime they committed. This cookie cutter approach, with an overarching leniency is advocating for the criminal.  Especially in light of how he treats victims, which he ignores, or downright insults, as is in the case of the mother of Joshua Rodriguez, who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered. Instead of showing empathy, he removes sentence enhancements, ignoring the brutality of the crime, and complained that the victim’s family couldn’t “keep their mouth shut”.

Even the Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, a fellow Democrat, has come out to support the recall effort against Gascon. This is not a partisan issue. Republicans, Democrats. and Independents all deserve an equitable enforcement of the law and the safe in society —  that is peace through strength of law enforcement. Sheriffs  can make all the lawful arrests, but if the District Attorney is not prosecuting the criminals, they will be in jail and out the next minute, committing those crimes again. It’s really that simple.

Watching all the incidents of crime on Asians throughout the country, it is especially important for me that our Asian cities remain safe and we do everything we can to prevent any more attacks from happening. That is through strict consequences for criminal behavior. Cerritos, where I was a victim of crime, was an Asian city targeted by “systemic” incidents.  So are cities like Arcadia and Diamond Bar, where property crime and burglaries are so commonplace because many criminals target households where people are at work and know that cash is hidden under mattresses at times.  This is why neighborhood watches and community partnerships with law enforcement is key.

Can we put our partisan differences aside to work together on this common community issue to foster safety?  Leniency on crime never works. Gascon isn’t working for anyone but the criminals. It’s time for real solutions and real criminal justice reform, with a focus on results.

Marc Ang is the President of Asian Industry B2B (aib2b.org) and co-chair of the “Recall Gascon Now” campaign (recallgasconnow.com), a local Southern California conservative activist and is working on his book “The Minority Retort”. As a thought leader in the Asian community, he has been quoted extensively by national and local media outlets, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News, Redstate, Breitbart, CBS, NBC, ABC, One America News, and many more.

National & Local Media Outlets Cover Press Conference with Asian Americans Calling on Biden Administration to Address Violence and Discrimination with Concrete Action

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Watch the full broadcast here (with time markers)
 
Highlights:
Marc Ang Remarks
Yumi Hogan Letter Read by Tia Yu
Peter Cheng of CAVA Asks Question
National & Local Media Outlets Cover Press Conference with National Asian Americans Calling on Biden Administration to Address Violence and Discrimination with Concrete Action

Industry, CA & Bellevue, WA – April 7, 2021 – A national coalition of Asian-American advocacy groups called on the Biden administration to take concrete action to combat anti-Asian racism and violence. The leaders of the coalition held a virtual press conference on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, moderated by nationally acclaimed author and policy expert, Ying Ma, discussing their recommendations.

National media outlets attended and covered the conference, including Washington Post, and Fox News National, Southern California media outlets included KNX, NBC, CBS, KTTV and Spectrum Media. In addition, Washington outlets included KING and KOMO. Ethnic media such as Asian Journal, ABS-CBN Philippines and Chinese in LA attended, as well as niche media like RedState, who asked riveting questions.

Though President Joe Biden has repeatedly condemned anti-Asian hate and has proposed measures to address the problem, thus far his administration has failed to fully identify and properly address crucial issues of longstanding violence and racism against Asian Americans. 

Spearheaded by Asian Industry B2B (in California) and Washington Asians for Equality (in Washington State), this national coalition urges President Biden to take the following steps:

  1. Reinstate the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit against Yale University on grounds of discrimination against Asian-American applicants in undergraduate admissions, and denounce racial preferences and other racist practices commonly used to reduce the number of Asian-American students at educational institutions.
  2. State forcefully that any perpetrator of a violent attack against an Asian American will be publicly condemned and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law—regardless of the perpetrator’s race. Far from beginning during the coronavirus pandemic, racist acts against Asians have occurred in America for decades. On too many occasions, for too many years, we as a country and a society have failed to fight these ongoing offenses with adequate vigor, commitment, and candor.
  3. Appoint Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the former Attorney General of California, to work with local and state law enforcement, especially in urban areas, to strengthen police protection for Asian Americans in their communities. 

“Stopping racism and violence against Asian Americans will require courage and moral clarity,” said Linda Yang, director of Washington Asians for Equality. “We hope the Biden administration will rise to the occasion by not only speaking honestly about anti-Asian hate crimes, even when it might be uncomfortable, but also taking real action to tackle problems that contribute to anti-Asian discrimination, whether in America’s higher education or on the streets in our local communities.”

“In recent months, far too many horrific, wanton attacks against Asian Americans have occurred in this country. They are grotesque and they must end,” said Marc Ang, president of Asian Industry B2B. “It is unconscionable that in multiple cities, the elderly rightfully feel they cannot walk down the street safely in broad daylight and ordinary people cannot ride the subway without being viciously beaten and left for dead. Law and order must be upheld to prevent further attacks on the most vulnerable and the law abiding, and we call on the Biden administration to defend law and order and help to protect Asian Americans.”

“I want to extend my gratitude to you all for establishing this influential and powerful coalition of Asian American advocacy groups to defeat hate crimes and discrimination against our community,” said First Lady Hogan in a letter to the coalition of Asian Americans. “Actions of hate, discrimination, and bigotry should have no home anywhere. I appreciate your courageousness, and am proud to see your organization coming together to stand against injustice and violence.” First Lady Hogan’s letter can be read in its entirety HERE.

The national coalition of Asian-American individuals and organizations include: 

  • ACE Foundation
  • American Recovery Center of Hope
  • Asian Industry B2B
  • Association for Fair Education
  • Better Communities Foundation
  • Betty Chu, former mayor and city council member of Monterey Park, California, and former candidate for U.S. Representative in California’s 32nd congressional district
  • California School Choice Foundation
  • Chinese American Citizens Alliance Orange County 
  • Chinese American Citizens Alliance Las Vegas
  • Chinese American Citizens Alliance San Gabriel Valley Lodge
  • Chinese American Equalization Association
  • Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County
  • Chinese American Parent Association of Loudoun County
  • Chinese American Parents Association of Montgomery County
  • Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia
  • Chinese-American Volunteers Association
  • Equal Rights for All PAC
  • Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce Southern California Chapter 
  • Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Tri-County
  • George Li, former president, The Orange Club PAC
  • Indonesian Chinese American Association
  • Maryland Chinese American Network
  • National Federation of Filipino American Associations Greater Los Angeles Region 
  • National Federation of Filipino American Associations Northern California
  • People Encouraging People
  • Ted Bui, VP of Fountain Valley Rotary Club
  • Wanyu Foundation
  • Washington Asians for Equality
  • George Yang, former chair, Menlo Park Sister City Committee

For more information and followup, contact Marc Ang at 424-291-2102 or marc@aib2b.org.
 
 

 

 

 

[Read more…] about National & Local Media Outlets Cover Press Conference with Asian Americans Calling on Biden Administration to Address Violence and Discrimination with Concrete Action

First Lady of Maryland Signs on to Our #StopAsianHate Coalition / Press Conference Tomorrow

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To attend the virtual press conference on Tuesday, April 6, at 11:00 a.m. PDT/2:00 p.m. EDT, please follow this zoom link. Passcode: 841492
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 5, 2021

Asian Americans Call on Biden Administration to 

Address Violence and Discrimination with Concrete Action; Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan Expresses Strong Support

Bellevue, WA, and Industry, CA—April 5, 2021—A national coalition of Asian-American advocacy groups recently called on the Biden administration to take concrete action to combat anti-Asian racism and violence. Yumi Hogan, Maryland’s First Lady and the country’s first Korean-American first lady, today offered support to this significant undertaking. The leaders of the coalition will hold a virtual press conference on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. PDT / 2:00 p.m. EDT to discuss their recommendations. 

Though President Joe Biden has repeatedly condemned anti-Asian hate and has proposed measures to address the problem, thus far his administration has failed to fully identify and properly address crucial issues of longstanding violence and racism against Asian Americans. 

Spearheaded by Asian Industry B2B (in California) and Washington Asians for Equality (in Washington State), this national coalition urges President Biden to take the following steps:

  1. Reinstate the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit against Yale University on grounds of discrimination against Asian-American applicants in undergraduate admissions, and denounce racial preferences and other racist practices commonly used to reduce the number of Asian-American students at educational institutions.
  2. State forcefully that any perpetrator of a violent attack against an Asian American will be publicly condemned and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law—regardless of the perpetrator’s race. Far from beginning during the coronavirus pandemic, racist acts against Asians have occurred in America for decades. On too many occasions, for too many years, we as a country and a society have failed to fight these ongoing offenses with adequate vigor, commitment, and candor.
  3. Appoint Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the former Attorney General of California, to work with local and state law enforcement, especially in urban areas, to strengthen police protection for Asian Americans in their communities. 

“Stopping racism and violence against Asian Americans will require courage and moral clarity,” said Linda Yang, director of Washington Asians for Equality. “We hope the Biden administration will rise to the occasion by not only speaking honestly about anti-Asian hate crimes, even when it might be uncomfortable, but also taking real action to tackle problems that contribute to anti-Asian discrimination, whether in America’s higher education or on the streets in our local communities.”

“In recent months, far too many horrific, wanton attacks against Asian Americans have occurred in this country. They are grotesque and they must end,” said Marc Ang, president of Asian Industry B2B. “It is unconscionable that in multiple cities, the elderly rightfully feel they cannot walk down the street safely in broad daylight and ordinary people cannot ride the subway without being viciously beaten and left for dead. Law and order must be upheld to prevent further attacks on the most vulnerable and the law abiding, and we call on the Biden administration to defend law and order and help to protect Asian Americans.”

“I want to extend my gratitude to you all for establishing this influential and powerful coalition of Asian American advocacy groups to defeat hate crimes and discrimination against our community,” said First Lady Hogan in a letter to the coalition of Asian Americans. “Actions of hate, discrimination, and bigotry should have no home anywhere. I appreciate your courageousness, and am proud to see your organization coming together to stand against injustice and violence.” First Lady Hogan’s letter can be read in its entirety HERE.

The national coalition of Asian-American individuals and organizations include: 

  • ACE Foundation
  • American Recovery Center of Hope
  • Asian Industry B2B
  • Association for Fair Education
  • Better Communities Foundation
  • Betty Chu, former mayor and city council member of Monterey Park, California, and former candidate for U.S. Representative in California’s 32nd congressional district
  • California School Choice Foundation
  • Chinese American Citizens Alliance Orange County 
  • Chinese American Citizens Alliance Las Vegas
  • Chinese American Citizens Alliance San Gabriel Valley Lodge
  • Chinese American Equalization Association
  • Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County
  • Chinese American Parent Association of Loudoun County
  • Chinese American Parents Association of Montgomery County
  • Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia
  • Chinese-American Volunteers Association
  • Equal Rights for All PAC
  • Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce Southern California Chapter 
  • Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Tri-County
  • George Li, former president, The Orange Club PAC
  • Maryland Chinese American Network
  • National Federation of Filipino American Associations Greater Los Angeles Region 
  • National Federation of Filipino American Associations Northern California
  • People Encouraging People
  • Wanyu Foundation
  • Washington Asians for Equality
  • George Yang, former chair, Menlo Park Sister City Committee

To attend the virtual press conference on Tuesday, April 6, at 11:00 a.m. PDT / 2:00 p.m. EDT, RSVP by e-mailing defendingequal@gmail.com. Details for joining the event are below.

When: Apr 6, 2021 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Press Conference-Asian Americans Call for Concrete Action from Biden Administration

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88448708544?pwd=WG5JQVpEQWJDTENQWUxjS1VyMkwvUT09
Passcode: 841492

Or One tap mobile : 
   US: +16699009128,,88448708544#,,,,*841492#  or +12532158782,,88448708544#,,,,*841492# 
Or Telephone:
   Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
       US: +1 669 900 9128  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 558 8656 
Webinar ID: 884 4870 8544
Passcode: 841492
   International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kwWCCjEz9

About Asian Industry B2B

Asian Industry B2B (AIB2B) is a southern California community organization bringing together business professionals for charitable and civic causes to improve local communities. AIB2B’s causes include fighting human trafficking, preserving the environment (beach cleanup), alleviating poverty, promoting quality education through school choice, saving animals, and supporting veterans and the military. These efforts are supported by strong partnerships with municipal governments and law enforcement. More information is available at https://aib2b.org/.

About Washington Asians for Equality

Washington Asians for Equality (WAFE) was founded in 2018 after a group of concerned Asian-American parents organized to stop the state legislature from repealing Washington State’s ban on racial preferences. Since then, WAFE has been active in advocating for Asian Americans’ equal rights in Washington State. For more information, please visit https://waasians4equality.org/. 

Contact:

Ying Ma

defendingequal@gmail.com 

(703) 436-4539‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

[Read more…] about First Lady of Maryland Signs on to Our #StopAsianHate Coalition / Press Conference Tomorrow

Asian Americans Call on Biden Administration to Address Violence and Discrimination with Concrete Action

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Asian Americans Call on Biden Administration to Address Violence and Discrimination with Concrete Action
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 1, 2021

Bellevue, WA and Industry, CA – April 1, 2021 – A national coalition of Asian-American advocacy groups today called on the Biden administration to take concrete action to combat anti-Asian racism and violence. The leaders of the coalition will hold a virtual press conference on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. PDT/2:00 p.m. EDT to discuss their recommendations.

Though President Joe Biden has repeatedly condemned anti-Asian hate and has proposed measures to address the problem, thus far his administration has failed to fully identify and properly address crucial issues of longstanding violence and racism against Asian Americans.

Spearheaded by Asian Industry B2B (in California) and Washington Asians for Equality (in Washington State), this national coalition urges the Biden administration to take the following steps.

  1. Reinstate the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Yale University regarding discrimination against Asian-American applicants in undergraduate admissions, and denounce racial preferences and other systemically racist practices commonly used to reduce the number of Asian-American students at educational institutions.
  1. Publicly state—through President Biden—that all perpetrators of violent attacks against Asian Americans must be condemned and punished, regardless of the perpetrator’s race. Anti-Asian racism has existed in America for many years and did not begin during the COVID-19 pandemic. On too many occasions, we as a country and a society have failed to fight such racism with adequate vigor, commitment, or candor.
  1. Appoint Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the former Attorney General of California, to work with local and state law enforcement, especially in urban areas, to strengthen police protection for Asian Americans in their communities.

“Stopping racism and violence against Asian Americans will require courage and moral clarity,” said Linda Yang, director of Washington Asians for Equality. “We hope the Biden administration will rise to the occasion by not only speaking honestly about anti-Asian hate crimes, even when it might be uncomfortable, but also taking real action to tackle problems that contribute to anti-Asian discrimination, whether in America’s higher education or on the streets in our local communities.”

“In recent months, far too many horrific, wanton attacks against Asian Americans have occurred in this country. They are grotesque and they must end,” said Marc Ang, president of Asian Industry B2B. “It is unconscionable that in multiple cities, the elderly feel they cannot walk down the street safely in broad daylight and ordinary people cannot take a subway train without being assaulted. Law and order must be upheld to prevent further attacks on the most vulnerable, and we call on the Biden administration to defend law and order and help protect Asian Americans.”

The national coalition of individuals and organizations include:
o   ACE Foundation
o   American Recovery Center of Hope
o   Asian Industry B2B
o   Association for Fair Education
o   Better Communities Foundation
o   Betty Chu, former mayor and city council member of Monterey Park, California, and former candidate for U.S. Representative in California’s 32nd congressional district
o   California School Choice Foundation
o   Chinese American Citizens Alliance Orange County
o   Chinese American Citizens Alliance Las Vegas
o   Chinese American Citizens Alliance San Gabriel Valley Lodge
o   Chinese American Equalization Association
o   Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County
o   Chinese American Parent Association of Loudoun County
o   Chinese American Parents Association of Montgomery County
o   Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia
o   Chinese-American Volunteers Association
o   Equal Rights for All PAC
o   Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce Southern California Chapter
o   Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Tri-County
o   George Li, former president, The Orange Club PAC
o   Maryland Chinese American Network
o   National Federation of Filipino American Associations Greater Los Angeles Region
o   National Federation of Filipino American Associations Northern California
o   People Encouraging People
o   Wanyu Foundation
o   Washington Asians for Equality
o   George Yang, former chair, Menlo Park Sister City Committee

To attend the virtual press conference on Tuesday, April 6, at 11:00 a.m. PDT/2:00 p.m. EDT, please RSVP by emailing defendingequal@gmail.com.

About Asian Industry B2B

Asian Industry B2B (AIB2B) is a Southern California community organization bringing together business professionals to engage in charitable and civic causes to improve local communities. AIB2B’s causes include fighting human trafficking, preserving the environment (beach cleanup), alleviating poverty, promoting quality education through school choice, saving animals, and supporting veterans and military. These efforts are supported by strong partnerships with municipal governments and law enforcement. More information is available at https://aib2b.org/.

About Washington Asians for Equality

Washington Asians for Equality was founded in 2018 after a group of concerned Asian-American parents organized to stop the state legislature from repealing Washington State’s ban on racial preferences. Since then, WAFE has been active in advocating for Asian Americans’ equal rights in Washington state. For more information, please visit https://waasians4equality.org/.

Contact:

Ying Ma
defendingequal@gmail.com
(703) 436-4539