DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: Why do Americans believe they must wait on a group of liars to tell them what they already know is true?

I’ve possibly said this before – but I’m going to say it again.

Why do people in the United States insist on waiting for the government to tell them if something is true or not?

I ask this because many people in the US are aware the government lies about many things.

So, why do you need to wait on a liar to tell you something is true before you believe it IS true?

Would that somehow be considered a trauma bond?

Let me say this as a fact – I don’t hate the government. Attempting to navigate the landmine of bribery, greed, power, and all that goes with it, cannot be easy.

However, these days if you don’t have a moral compass – you need to go home.

We all know mainstream media needs to go home.

Yet again, if mainstream did not say it, many people believe it CANNOT be true.

As an example, Trump’s recent Executive Order to restore “safety in D.C.” had the media frothing to report the tidbits of propaganda as instructed. Just enough to get the appropriate cage rattlers outraged yet again.

All I can hear is the forced fear-mongering these days so I can’t even take it seriously.

People were scratching their heads asking why protesters were protesting an end to horrendous crime statistics in the nation’s capital as opposed to safety on the streets.

It came down to those who are already finicky about “the Donald.” Some said they see this as his way to steal a third term. They believe he’ll keep pushing federal troops into other cities for a bigger cleanup.

Pres. Trump’s Executive Order declared a “Crime Emergency to Restore Safety in the District of Columbia.”

I’ll refrain from my opinion, but I’m going to meet you here with facts.

Facts I did not find reported in the mainstream narrative.

First, I’ll say it’s true crime is down in D.C. in 2025 as compared to past years.

However, if that’s the only thing you hear parroted that makes you believe a “federal takeover initiated by Trump is big scary,” you haven’t done your research.

What isn’t being reported by the media?

That would be how high the crime rate numbers have been in D.C. for many years.

I’ll use the year 2025 murders as an example of why D.C. needed some help.

The District of Columbia has reported 99 murders year-to-date as of July 2025.

The District of Columbia has 702,250 living in its federal district comprised of 131 unofficial neighborhoods.

Residents of D.C. are both federal citizens and U.S. citizens by birthright. Unlike residents of states, they lack full representation in Congress and can’t elect their own senators or representatives with full voting rights.

D.C. does have a local government with a mayor and council.

Overall, Congress retains oversight even when it comes to local laws.

D.C.’s 99 murders in 2025 compared to cities of the same population is outrageous even if it does tout crime is down. As compared to what? It’s like one person saying, “We’re not doing bad” and another person answering, “You’re not doing bad if your good is everyone else’s worst day.”

When numbers are skewed and half-facts reported, no one wins.

As for the drop in homicides in D.C.?

There were 112 murders in 2024, so 2025 is not shaping up too well if we look at the numbers with an eye toward 12 months.

Compared to Charleston/North Charleston, SC with six murders year to date with a population of 765,000, Rochester, NY with 758,000 and only 16 murders, Dayton, Ohio’s 754,000 with 23 murders or Knoxville, TN with 807,000 population and just four murders in 2025, ouch – D.C. is looking REALLY bad.

Another interesting tidbit that involves getting the National Guard involved in calming the crime in D.C. is the District of Columbia is called by many a city/state or nation/state depending on the research.

This is along with London, also called a city/state, and the Vatican.

Go down the city/state rabbit hole on your own. Start with the term Empire of Cities and D.C.’s flag. It has three red stars. Some say these represent the three locations named above. Either way, the D.C. flag is touted with implications for the district’s autonomy.

Autonomy being the important word here.

I asked quite a few educated people: “What does it mean for federal troops (National Guard) to arrive in a city/state that’s considered federal and then have the D.C. Metropolitan Police (MPD) told they’re no longer in charge?”

Some red (definitely, not blue) were rumoring the Federal takeover was okay because it’s a federal district, which overrides local.

But the talk is too, if arrests are made of politicians on (any) list from either side of the aisle, federal in charge can mean different rules and easier arrests.

Is the bigger picture being missed due to the obvious distraction?

Another rabbit hole.

No, we don’t want the federal government to take over states for any reason. We don’t want the national guard to come in and heavy hand a situation.

But as Trump defined the situation in D.C. – he said it was an emergency – so an emergency EO was signed.

As for the word “emergency,” someone else is going to have to define that word other than me.

I do know D.C.’s murder rate in 2024 was three times higher than Islamabad, Pakistan.

Trump said, “Just like I took care of the Border, where you had ZERO Illegals coming across last month, from millions the year before, I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN!”

Democratic lawmakers introduced a joint resolution in response to the EO calling Trump’s cleanup job “unlawful and unprecedented to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department in DC.”

Representative Jamie Raskin mentioned, “The only emergency here is a lawless president experiencing a growing public relations emergency because of his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.”

Forget the fact the blue had four years to release Epstein’s files, more to the point why the gaslighting to bring up Epstein’s name.

What does Epstein have to do with the outrageous crime in D.C.?

The Home Rule Act of 1973 states D.C. residents can govern their local affairs. It also allows the president under that same act a 30-day power to take over the D.C. police department for “federal purposes” under “special conditions of an emergency.”

Late last week the EO was scaled back to allow MPD to remain in control.

So now what?

I’ll leave it here – and circle back to liars.

There is only one thing I detest more than a liar – that would be a liar who thinks I’m dumb.

Rita Cook is a freelance writer for The Ellis County Press. She can be reached at rcook13@earthlink.net.