Of course, these people did not deserve harm because of their support for soft-on-crime policies. But I’ve long argued that many people who hold “luxury beliefs”—ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class, while often inflicting costs on the lower classes—are oblivious to the consequences of their views. Support for defunding the police is a classic example.

Luxury beliefs can stem from malice, good intentions, or outright naivete.

But the individuals who hold those beliefs, the people who wield the most influence in policy and culture, are often sheltered when their preferences are implemented.

Some online commenters have said that my luxury beliefs thesis is undermined by these tragic events, because the victims were affluent and influential—and they still suffered the consequences of their beliefs.

But the fact remains that poor people are far more likely to be victims of violent crime.

[I’m generally leery about these kinds of correlation/causation arguments, but Henderson does make a compelling point in this essay. It’s not gloating or blaming the victim to point out that these luxury beliefs have made America a much more dangerous place, and not just “defund the police” but also the laissez-faire attitude toward vagrancy, serious mental illness, and drug addiction. Two proponents of these luxury beliefs ended up victimized by the decline those caused, and that’s a shame, but a lot of people who never asked for these policies are getting victimized as well — and that’s an outrage. — Ed]