Rhetoric vs. Reality, Police Safety Edition

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Here’s the rhetoric:

Scott Walker:In the last six years under President Obama, we’ve seen a rise in anti-police rhetoric….[This] rhetoric has real consequences for the safety of officers who put their lives on the line for us and hampers their ability to serve the communities that need their help.”

Ted Cruz: “Cops across this country are feeling the assault. They’re feeling the assault from the president, from the top on down….That is fundamentally wrong, and it is endangering the safety and security of us all.”

Donald Trump: “I know cities where police are afraid to even talk to people because they want to be able to retire and have their pension….And then you wonder what’s wrong with our cities. We need a whole new mind-set.

And here’s the reality. During the George Bush administration, police fatalities per 100 million residents averaged 58 per year (54 if you exclude 2001). During the Obama administration, that’s dropped to 42.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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