President Donald Trump signed an order deploying the National Guard to Memphis on Monday to address rising crime in the city, representing the latest use of military resources in American cities.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti told Newsmax on Saturday that the city’s residents need to see "an alternative" to living with violent crime.
"It’s [crime] inhibiting the ability of the people of Memphis to get out and live their lives. It's inhibiting their abilities not just to create economic productivity, but to enjoy family time and to just really dwell in a great American city.
"People shouldn't have to be afraid of violence.
"There are all these random shootouts in the roads, houses getting shot, kids getting hurt. People shouldn't live like that. And once they see that there is an alternative, I think a lot of people will really appreciate it," Skrmetti said during an appearance on "America Right Now."
Host Tom Basile asked Skrmetti to give some examples of why Memphis would benefit from having the National Guard in his city.
"If you look at the stats nationally, the crime statistics in Memphis are pretty bad," Skrmetti responded.
"The murder rate is high, the violent crime rate is high. It has been coming down, but it's still a problem.
"There is a very high-profile case where at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is one of the jewels of Memphis, they've been curing cancers for decades.
"One of their researchers was murdered randomly on the street. Eliza Fletcher, a beloved teacher in Memphis, was out running and was horrifically murdered," he added.
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.