Stupid policies have tragic consequences

For over ten years (some say as long as twenty), until Mayor Gavin Newsom was shamed into discontinuing it last month for other embarrassing reasons, the city of San Francisco had an official policy of not reporting juvenile criminal offenders, including convicted violent felons, who were illegal aliens to the Federal government for deportation.

That's how Edwin Ramos, a twice-convicted violent felon and active member of the murderous Salvadoran MS-13 street gang, was able to be in this country when he allegedly shot and killed a man and his two sons last month for having had the temerity to get in his way while driving:

"Edwin Ramos, now 21, is being held on three counts of murder in the June 22 deaths of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16. They were shot near their home in the Excelsior district when Tony Bologna, driving home from a family picnic, briefly blocked the gunman's car from completing a left turn down a narrow street, police say."

Ramos had previously been convicted of assaulting a bus passenger whom he mistakenly thought was a rival gang member, and of robbing and assaulting a pregnant woman. In other words, a real stand-up guy worthy of protecting from deportation, someone who "just wants to have a better life" in this country.

When even Frisco had finally had enough of him after Ramos was arrested yet again, this time on a gun charge (the pistol found in his car was later found to have been used in another double homicide), they contacted ICE to take him off their hands. The Feds promptly dropped the ball big time:

"For reasons the federal agents cannot explain, they did not put an immigration hold on Ramos."

and

"[ICE spokeswoman] Kice acknowledged that federal authorities had not asked for Ramos to be held. She said she did not know why."

"Duh, I don't know" just isn't a good enough answer, particularly given the tragic results of Ramos's subsequent rampage. ICE and the Juvenile Probation Department of San Francisco have to share in the blame for the Bologna family's violent demise, because if they had been doing their jobs halfway competently (in ICE's case) or not blatantly thumbing their noses at the law (the probation department) Ramos would be back in El Salvador causing his havoc there, instead of being given the chance to harm yet more innocent American citizens.

Will anyone in those two organizations lose their jobs over this travesty? I'd bet not. Bureaucracy tends to cover up for their own. Meanwhile, more and more people just like Ramos continue to ply their criminal trade daily on our streets. Is there any wonder why the liberalization of handgun carry laws is succeeding wildly nationwide? The peasants have finally realized that it's going to be up to them to protect themselves and their families, while the "authorities" play politics with their lives.