A young Ukrainian refugee named Iryna Zarutska came to America seeking safety from war. Instead, she found death on a Charlotte train when a career criminal stabbed her three times in broad daylight. The 23-year-old woman died while other passengers sat frozen, failing to act when evil struck right in front of them.

Surveillance video shows the horrific truth about what happened on that train car. Other riders watched as this innocent woman was brutally attacked. They took precious time to respond while her life slipped away. This is not the America our founders envisioned.

Real Americans should never stand by when evil attacks the innocent. Every able-bodied person on that train had a duty to stop that monster. We used to be a nation where men stepped up to protect women and children. Now too many people just pull out their phones instead of taking action.

The killer was a 34-year-old repeat offender with convictions for robbery and breaking and entering. He was fare-jumping when he decided to murder an innocent refugee. Our broken justice system kept releasing this dangerous criminal back onto our streets. How many warning signs did we ignore?

This tragedy shows what happens when we go soft on crime and defund police. There were no security officers in that train car when evil struck. Liberal policies have made our public transportation systems hunting grounds for criminals. Law-abiding citizens deserve better protection than this.

Americans need to take their safety into their own hands. Every person should know basic self-defense and be ready to help their neighbors. We cannot rely on government to protect us when seconds matter. The right to defend ourselves and others is sacred.

Charlotte officials talk about mental health and fare enforcement while a beautiful young woman lies dead. She escaped war in Ukraine only to be killed by American criminals our system failed to stop. This blood is on the hands of every politician who prioritizes criminals over victims.

We must return to American values of courage, protection, and justice. Every passenger on that train should have rushed to save Iryna Zarutska. Her death demands we reject the cowardice that has infected our society. True patriots defend the innocent, period.