Liberal Logic: Steal A Car, Blame The Car, Not The Thief

Democratic run cities have discovered another way to verify their incompetence. It’s an age-old game that they have perfected called passing the buck, but in this case they have taken it up a notch so that their ignorance is really highlighted.

St Louis has become the latest city run by Democrats, joining Cleveland, San Diego, Milwaukee, Columbus, and Seattle to file federal lawsuits against Hyundai and Kia because of increased thefts of their cars.

The thefts have increased as a result of a TikTok video that shows how to steal those cars. The suits are based on the fact that many of the Kia and Hyundai vehicles are not equipped with anti-theft technology. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute, by 2015, 96 percent of U.S. vehicles had immobilizers as standard equipment compared to only 26 percent of Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

Specifically, the TikTok videos in question demonstrate how to steal Hyundai and Kia cars that do not have push button ignitions. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the car thefts of these models, have led to 14 crashes and eight fatalities.

The left has a real issue with truth. This car issue is not unlike their gun control insanity. There are millions of guns in the United States and the overall majority of the people will only use it in self-defense, if ever. The criminals are the ones that commit gun crimes. It isn’t the gun, it’s the person.

Likewise, just because a particular type of vehicle is more vulnerable to theft, doesn’t mean people should steal them. When those cars get stolen, it’s the people doing it that are at fault. Gun’s don’t shoot or kill people, the people holding the gun do that and these cars don’t steal themselves, the thieves do.

Rather than focus on the crimes and implementing strong deterrents, these cities choose to blame the car manufacturers for their failures. For Democrats, it’s always easier to blame someone else.

For example, here is what St. Louis Mayor, Tishaura Jones had to say:

“Big corporations like Kia and Hyundai must be held accountable for endangering our residents and putting profit over people. St. Louisans should not be forced to bear the cost of their negligence.”

“Simply put, by refusing to follow industry standards, making their cars so easy to steal that a child could do it, Kia and Hyundai created a public safety hazard in cities across the country and put a target on the backs of their customers. It’s clear Kia and Hyundai’s negligence is not just a St. Louis problem. It is a nationwide public safety crisis.”

What Jones conveniently doesn’t say, is that there are no U.S. Regulations that require the anti-theft devices. Even though most of the Industrialized world requires them, our country does not. Not only that, these car models have been targeted by a TikTok video. Why are they not suing to have the video removed, or suing TikTok for allowing it to be posted in the first place?

Jones also deliberately didn’t mention that in February, St Louis was listed as the most dangerous city in the U.S. by MoneyGeek. Statistics show that 1 in 17 Americans will become a victim of property crime in St. Louis, while 14 violent assaults per 100,000 people are expected, which is five times higher than the U.S. average. In fact, St. Louis has always had a higher crime rate per capita compared to the nationwide average, not only for large cities but also for small communities.

The St. Louis lawsuit states:

“Defendants careless disregard for the safety of the public has created a public nuisance in the City of St. Louis, resulting in an explosion of auto-related crime that is injuring citizens, taxing St. Louis’s resources, and jeopardizing the public health, safety, and peace of all who live, work, and visit St. Louis.”

Robert Tracy, the St. Louis Police Chief, who just completed his first 100 days in office, spoke in lockstep with Jones. “From a law enforcement perspective, Kia and Hyundai’s negligence with their products have created a public safety hazard for the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and we’re working every single day to address it.”

In response, Kia stated that the lawsuits “are without merit.” They added that they “are willing to work cooperatively with law enforcement agencies in St. Louis to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it.” Adding, “Its vehicles comply with U.S. theft protection regulations.”

Hyundai said that it has taken actions, “in response to increasing and persistent thefts targeting our vehicles without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices in the United States.” Just last month the automakers stated that they would offer software upgrades to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles.

Technically, these auto manufacturers have done nothing wrong. TikTok exploited an Achilles heel on these vehicles and bad people are taking advantage of it. It is frustrating yes, but perhaps these cities that use the revolving door style of justice should look inward.

These lawsuits are a waste of taxpayer dollars. Rather than pointing fingers, try accepting the problem and punishing those that steal the cars.

With apologies to David Gerrold who said, “If you’re passing the buck, don’t ask for change.” In regards to these cities and any others that feel the need to blame others, I am changing the quote slightly.

“If you’re passing the buck, don’t expect change.”