Reader warning: Disturbing content ahead.

People engaged in political debates often have a tendency to veer toward hyperbole and exaggerated accusations against their opponents. I point this out because that’s what this is probably going to sound like. But I assure you it isn’t. The question at hand is, as the title suggests, whether or not some Democrats are either siding with or, at a minimum, downplaying the seriousness of illegal child trafficking, including child sex trafficking, particularly across the nation’s southern border. Based on recent actions taken (or lack of actions) by the California state legislature, it’s difficult to argue against the claim. A bipartisan bill to significantly strengthen punishments for repeat offenders in the child trafficking trade was recently introduced in the legislature. It would have put these repeat offenders in the same class as felons guilty of rape, murder, or arson. But when the Public Safety Committee was presented with the bill so that it could advance to a full vote, the six Democrats on the committee abstained, effectively killing the bill by preventing it from advancing. What other message are we to take from this? (Free Beacon)

California Democrats on Tuesday killed a bipartisan bill to strengthen punishments for repeat traffickers of minors, continuing a years-long push to empty prisons.

The legislation, Senate Bill 14, would classify trafficking of children and teenagers younger than 18 years old as a serious felony on par with murder, arson, and rape, which would bring longer prison terms and potential life sentences without a chance for a plea bargain. The six Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee abstained from voting on the bill, preventing its advance for a vote by the full chamber. Both Republicans voted yes.

“All [longer sentences] do is increase our investments in systems of harm and subjugation at the expense of the investments that the communities needed to not have this be a problem to begin with,” said Democratic committee member Isaac Bryan during the hearing.

We will repeat this as many times as is required to get the message through: When they tell you who they are, you should believe them.

While this is obviously shocking, perhaps we shouldn’t be all that surprised. After all, other Democrats have quite recently claimed that human trafficking is a myth. Of course, in that instance, they were saying it in an effort to undermine the blockbuster success of the movie Sound of Freedom. But the underlying message is the same. Once the left takes it into their heads that something – anything – is beneficial to conservatives or Republicans, they will be up on their hind legs arguing for the opposite position. And now, that apparently includes opposing serious punishment for child sex traffickers. It’s all really too much to absorb.

If they had some rational basis for opposing legislation like this it might be different. (Okay… no, it wouldn’t be any different.) But how are we to make heads or tails of the basis for killing this bill? Reading the comments of Democratic committee member Isaac Bryan is an exercise in tossing word salad. His talking points refer to prison as a “system of harm and subjugation.” He appears to suggest there is some other non-prison option that’s being ignored. In the end, he’s really only talking about emptying the prisons.

Really? If you want to talk about a “system of harm and subjugation,” what about the fact that we’re discussing children who are being confined and sexually abused repeatedly by pedophiles and the men who collect money for those crimes? Even if you are sick and twisted enough to believe that there is some acceptable level of “harm and subjugation,” surely you have to draw the line at children being victimized, don’t you? If not, I strongly suspect that there is a special place in hell waiting for you.

What will California Democrats turn a blind eye to next? They are already watching their policies destroy the state’s larger cities and create a massive population outflux of people seeking safety, security, and affordability elsewhere. But if any of California’s remaining voters can seriously go pull the lever for officials who refuse the idea of seriously punishing child sex traffickers, they clearly need to go look in the mirror and ask themselves what they truly believe in and support.