When Political Cowardice Kills
Kevin McCullough
Imagine escaping war—leaving behind bombs, Russian brutality, and shattered cities—only to be butchered on a train in America. That’s exactly what happened on August 22, 2025, when 23‑year‑old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death aboard Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line. She fled tyranny for safety—and died because Democratic leadership in Charlotte prefers ideology over protection. Her accused killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., is a 34‑year‑old with 14 prior arrests and documented mental‑health issues, yet he was free to roam a public train. Days later, Charlotte’s Mayor Vi Lyles offered platitudes, pointed fingers at magistrates, then cruised to yet another Democratic primary win. Reward for failure. A campaign built on condolences while a young woman’s family plans a funeral.
None of this was unforeseeable. Prosecutors and judges knew Brown’s record. Transit officials knew the Blue Line’s known security gaps. Even now, state authorities are scrutinizing Charlotte’s transit safety and governance because the system so visibly failed the very people it exists to protect. This wasn’t an act of God. It was an act of government neglect that left a predator on the street and a refugee bleeding out on a rail car.
And Charlotte is not alone. Consider Chicago’s Blue Line massacre on September 2, 2024. Four riders were executed while sleeping—slaughtered in the predawn quiet on a train that should’ve been secure. Investigators say a suspect was cuffed soon after and charged with four counts of first‑degree murder. The tragedy wasn’t the product of mystery; it was the predictable outcome of a transit system treated like an honor‑system experiment in a city that treats enforcement like a dirty word. When you patrol less, prosecute less, and broadcast that consequences are optional, you invite the worst actors to test the theory.
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https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2025/09/10/when-political-cowardice-kills-n2663046
