Right-wing pundits gloat after 'progressive' DA suffers violent carjacking with his elderly mother
On October 17, Orleans Parish, Louisiana District Attorney Jason Williams and his elderly mother were the victims of a carjacking. Williams' mother was sitting inside the car when they were confronted by armed men.
In an op-ed published by MSNBC on November 7, Williams laments that some right-wing pundits couldn't wait to gloat over the incident — as he is known for being a progressive and has "advocated for policies aimed at fair and humane treatment."
"A few people have publicly gloated about me, the 'progressive' DA, being carjacked," Williams explains. "One far-right blog argued that, somehow, I contributed to my victimization, and my mother's, because there's a 'D' next to my name on the ballot.
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The Orleans Parrish DA notes that instead of responding to the carjacking with compassion, his right-wing critics instinctively made it a partisan issue.
"In that heart-pounding moment as the carjackers accosted me and my eyes trained to the guns being pointed at my head," Williams recalls, "neither my political leanings nor my elected office could shield me from the raw fear and vulnerability of being a victim. My thoughts were racing during the commission of the crime, but I was focused on my elderly mother. I stood there as an easy target; but the fear that they would hurt her overpowered me. Seeing my mother's fear as she witnessed me — her only son — held at gunpoint still haunts me."
Williams goes on to say, however, that the "causes of crime" still need to be addressed.
"My peace of mind hasn't returned simply because three males were picked up after we were robbed by three males," Williams writes. "I want the right people held accountable — through a fair trial with no hand on the scale. I have no desire to subject them to any harsher punishment; neither my security nor my mother's sense of security will be restored simply because three people enter the legal system.… My 'mugging,' if you will, has recommitted me to my firm belief that we must keep working to address the causes of crime and to ensure the safety and security of all our residents."
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Read Jason Williams' full MSNBC op-ed at this link.
