In yet another captivating episode of our nation’s ongoing drama, the House Judiciary Committee revealed the stark disconnect between reality and perception. During a recent hearing, a representative posed an uncomfortable question to a witness about the safety of Baltimore. The witness, presumably living in an alternate dimension where crime statistics have no bearing, insisted Baltimore was safe—even for the hypothetical family jaunt or jog.

With a calm demeanor and bewildering assurance, the witness declared Baltimore to be a city where the sense of security is subjective. One might even sense a hint of comedic irony as this statement floated into the room, particularly when juxtaposed against hard data. Baltimore boasts a homicide rate approximately five times the national average. Charming, right? A place where the likelihood of a violent encounter seems more inevitable than optional.

The representative, batting zero nonsense, highlighted the vast chasm between this individual’s “feeling” of safety and grim statistics. Imagine a place where robberies happen at a rate unsupported by direct evidence but often exaggerated in narratives. In this upside-down world, apparently, facts are just pesky little details better left ignored. Who needs facts when feelings can rewrite reality on the fly?

This disconnect is emblematic of a broader reluctance to acknowledge societal issues head-on. In a city plagued by violence, the preference to gloss over glaring problems with a happy veneer of denial astounds. As long as representatives of these progressive policies continue to sugarcoat the situation, no real solutions will be forthcoming. They instead cling to a narrative that safety is just a state of mind, perhaps hoping that if they say it enough times, it might eventually come true.

This testimony serves as a stark reminder of why change seems elusive. If one cannot admit there’s a problem, how can they seek a remedy? When caught in this loop of denial, cities like Baltimore continue to suffer. Instead of confronting hurdles with honesty and resolve, the preferred approach is to find contentment in the fantasy that all is well, when reality, quite painfully, reveals it isn’t. Until truth and action find their way back into the conversation, safety will remain a mere illusion for too many citizens.