And I do understand resistance to “defund the police”, which is a stupid statement taken literally, and is a dumb way to label demands for police reform. The extreme left showing again that it can always find new and creative ways to try to push votes to the other side.

But the protests have subsided. That dreaded threat to the stability of the nation, the United Blocks of CHAZ/CHOP, is gone. While I know people in NYC, particularly living south of 33rd street, who spent a sleepless week listening to street noise and looting all night, that all subsided a month ago. In fact the protest I’m hearing about most this weekend is a blue lives matter march in Staten Island. It went off peacefully.

There has also been a spike in gun violence, and until last weekend a strange rash of rogue fireworks displays, which did injure some people. But the city in general is quiet as a mouse. I can get a sense from emails from friends and some posts here of the narrative on urban lawlessness coming to life out of all this reporting. It has little basis in reality, but the gun companies aren’t complaining.

Irrational fear is driving all these gun sales.