One of the most horrific crimes in recent memory was the August stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska. A young Ukrainian refugee just trying to build a new life, Zarutska was heading home after her shift at a pizza shop in Charlotte, N.C., when she boarded the city\u2019s light rail.<\/p>\n
She sat down in front of Decarlos Brown Jr., a man who \u2014 without reason, without provocation \u2014 stabbed her to death. She bled out on the floor of a train in the very city that had welcomed her.<\/p>\n
And yet, this tragedy is far too familiar. Americans in Charlotte and across the nation are sick and tired of watching the justice system bend over backwards to \u201cunderstand\u201d criminals while treating victims like afterthoughts. We coddle repeat offenders, excuse violent behavior, and put the so-called \u201crights\u201d of criminals above the safety of ordinary citizens.<\/p>\n
Enough. The people of Charlotte are right to demand accountability, because if a young woman fleeing war can\u2019t find safety here, what does that say about us?<\/p>\n
More than 11,000 people have already signed a petition to remove North Carolina Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes \u2014 and with good reason. Despite Brown Jr.\u2019s long record of mental illness and 14 prior convictions, Stokes made the reckless decision to cut him loose in January after he was arrested for abusing the 911 system.<\/p>\n