By Ray Hanania

Listen to those who are defending the SAFE-T Act and ask yourself, what are they saying?

Basically, they argue, “It’s not as bad as critics claim.”

But, what does the SAFE-T Act do to make law-abiding citizens safe?

No one can answer that because the SAFE-T Act isn’t about protecting law-abiding citizens. The SAFE-T Act is about relaxing regulations that burden the judicial system, mainly in Cook County, and ease restrictions and punishments for criminals.

The issue of cash bail is important, but you can’t just accept the argument of SAFE-T Act proponents that the law allows poor people who can’t afford cash bail who commit “minor crimes” to be released without having to put up any money.

The SAFE-T Act doesn’t say individuals who commit “minor crimes” who can’t afford bail should be given a break. It removes cash bail requirements for all criminals, but allows a Cook County judge to determine if they will actually return to court, or, more importantly, not commit more crimes while out on bail awaiting trial.

Ray Hanania

Do you really trust a judge in Cook County in a system corrupted by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to make that decision?

The SAFE-T Act removes the cash bail requirement for all suspects including those charged with rape and murder. A judge will decide if the rape or murder suspect can be released.

Now, one can argue that the terms “minor crimes” and “major crimes” are disconcerting because a crime is a crime.

Law-abiding citizens don’t commit any crimes. Foxx and Mayor Lori Lightfoot want to argue that is because you are white. They argue that race, not law, determines a person’s fate. They are pandering to their voter constituency base, not to you.

The law was written specifically by the Black Caucus to address issues of concerns in the black community. Critics of the law are not making the issue about race. The Black Caucus put that color on the 800-page legislation that was pushed through the General Assembly by Gov. JB Pritzker in order to strengthen voter turnout out among minority voters in the six-county region.

It was introduced in January 2021 with little fanfare, which is why we didn’t hear about it until only recently, more than 18 months later. Legislators only had hours to read the 800 pages and vote to approve it.

Pritzker called it the Safe-T Act because he understands propaganda. Call a bill to protect criminals the “Safe-T Act” and voters think it is about making law-abiding citizens safe.

Call it by its real bureaucratic name, the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, and you recognize that this is about helping people accused of crimes.

Pause to consider that phrase for one moment: “helping people accused of crimes.”

The rule of law already helps people who are accused of crimes. But apparently, the rule of law isn’t fair. It discriminates against people allegedly on the basis of race and color?

There is nothing safe about the Safe-T Act. It is purely written to make life easier for criminals.

Darren Bailey is right that Gov. JB Pritzker’s Safe-T Act needs to be repealed. It needs to be replaced with legislation that focuses instead of reinforcing safety.

Maybe replace it with new legislation that makes the punishments for committing crimes tougher, possibly to discourage criminals?

Maybe legislation that discourages, not encourages criminals?

Maybe something that strengthens protections for law-abiding citizens by putting the fear of God into the minds of hard-core criminals?

What we should do is make it tougher for criminals to be released on bond. Had they done that in December, gangbanger Malik Perteet would not have been released on cash bail, awaiting trial after being charged in the murder of an 11-year-old child.

Foxx refused police demands that he be denied bail and he was released on home monitoring.

So, Perteet went out and now is accused of murdering a 17-year-old two months later.

Most major media did not report on Perteet’s rebound crime and when FOX-TV reported it, it was ridiculed as fueling racism. Perteet is African American. So were the two victims.

According to CWB Chicago, Perteet is the 60th person accused of killing, trying to kill, or shooting someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony. A total of 92 victims are involved in those crimes.

I bet I know who Perteet is going to vote for on Nov. 8.

Who are you going to vote for?

Check out Ray Hanania’s columns and political podcasts at hanania.com.