END OF THE LINE

Daniel Turner is finished with Washington, DC.

During the last night in my condo in DC, I had to walk my dog an extra lap around the block because a crazy person was outside screaming obscenities. I wasn’t afraid. I just didn’t feel like getting into it with him or having to listen to his story—his “Let me just tell you something,” attempt to get money from me. It was 1 A.M., and I was tired from a night out—but more so, just tired in general. Tired of it all.

I did my part, too. My role in the fabric of urban society, overlooked but essential, was to spend my money. Eat, drink, shop, spend, tip, pay. And man, did I pay: taxes, rents, then a mortgage and HOA fees. I paid taxes on things the government deemed “bad” for me, like alcohol and cigarettes;  taxes on services which organized labor deemed “bad” for them, like rideshare. I paid gas tax, cable tax, cell phone tax, and, of course, income tax. Lots of income tax.

Now, we have riots, vandalism, and looting. “Protesters” set fire to an historic church and tear down statues. The protests, they say, must disrupt the status quo—and egging them on are media personalities like CNN’s Chris Cuomo, who said live, on the air, “please show me where it says protests are supposed to be polite and peaceful?”

The pact we made to live here has broken. What am I paying for?  A defunded police force? More murder? More violence? Do the property taxes I’ve faithfully paid for years not protect the CVS I can see from my bedroom—a building which recently had every window smashed and was looted because of “justice”?  When the metro was lousy, we turned to Uber. When the schools were failing, parents turned to charter schools. When one area turned bleak another neighborhood popped up. But when chaos and destruction permeate, and an exhausted people asking for relief are told their indifference–not violent looters—is the true culprit, then there is no alternative but to leave.

Read the whole thing.

I think that over the next few years, lots more people are going to be asking themselves that same question.  What am I paying for?  If the police stand aside and let Marxists destroy my business, if Democrat politicians piously intone how "important" it is that we "understand" all this, then I don't see any reason to keep shelling out money for absolutely nothing.

With the exception of the first few months, I've lived my entire 64 years in the St. Louis, Missouri area.  But if I could figure out a way to move to Oklahoma, western Kansas or eastern Colorado, I'd be out of here tomorrow.  I don't have any attachment to this place.  And I think that in the future, you'll see a whole lot more people, as Jesus put it, counting the cost.