By Ray Hanania

Former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke is freed from a system that protects real criminals.

Van Dyke went through the criminal justice system for shooting Laquan McDonald, a drugged-up, weapon-carrying thug with a history of violence who refused to listen to police after curfew in Chicago. Van Dyke was released for good behavior after serving three years of a nearly seven-year sentence.

It’s interesting that police-haters are clamoring for new charges against Van Dyke. They are silent when gangbangers and other criminals are given light sentences and released early all the time—criminals who then commit new crimes, including murder.

If we can enforce a system to prosecute Van Dyke again after he served his time, then we can also prosecute thousands of criminals who have served time and have been released and put them back in prison, too. If we do that, let’s restore the death penalty and rid ourselves of some of the most violent criminals.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart released data last month showing how the Cook County criminal justice system is broken: 70-80% of suspects charged with violent crimes in Cook County are not held until trial and are released, pending their trials. That includes 100 people charged with murder.

More than 850 people charged with aggravated gun violence are also free. Police arrested 133 people awaiting trial for committing more violence.

Critics want more charges filed against Van Dyke. Why not file more charges against all of the criminals in Cook County who are released for committing violent crimes? They’re targeting Van Dyke because he is white.

Instead, prosecute parents for the crimes of their underaged children. McDonald would be alive today had he not been on drugs, out late, or carrying a weapon.

JOE ROGAN “Rockin in the unFree World” of Young and Mitchell:

I love the music of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. But I think their politics suck! These are musicians who clamored in the 1960s and ’70s for freedoms, including for women, and challenged Big Brother. Rich and famous today, they have become Big Brother.

They’re demanding Spotify, one of the largest online music and podcast platforms, block Joe Rogan, a conservative TV announcer, comedian and activist whom Young and Mitchell dislike.

What upsets me is the hypocrisy and how they support the very censorship they railed against.

The public is smart enough to hear all views and make up their own minds. The only views that should be censored are those that advocate violence and not just racism against one minority, racism against all minorities.

Unable to censor Rogan, they have falsely accused Rogan of racism. They claim he used the N-word. Not explained is how Rogan used the N-Word in a much-needed discussion about why black rap artists can use the word in violent, racist songs that legitimately should be banned.

POLITICAL GRAPEVINE: U.S. Rep. Marie Newman (D-3^rd) is leading the fight against the outrageous U.S. Postal Sevice delays that are harming seniors and forcing many who pay bills by mail to pay huge bank fees of $35 or more to cancel lost and undelivered checks. Make the post office pay! … Liz Gorman raised record amounts at a fundraiser last week in Orland Park in her campaign to unseat extremist Sean Morrison for the 17th District County seat. Some of Morrison’s frightened pals put flyers on car windows of the attendees–flyers filled with ugly and vicious lies, I’m told. Some just can’t address the real issues that Gorman is raising, so they resort to name-calling and personal attacks because they can’t address real issues. Gorman is a strong Republican who makes serving the taxpayers equal to fighting for her party.

It’s hard to believe 14 years have passed with no suspects in the murder of five women customers at Lane Bryant in Tinley Park … Former Congressman Bill Lipinski and I support President Joe Biden’s plans to name an African American woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. Race politics has always been a part of our system. Listen to the latest “Two Guys on Politics” Podcast for more … GoFundMe deleted a page that raised more than $10 million to help truckers protesting failed left-wing policies and is giving the donors the chance to apply to get it back but will keep what’s left to give to other political charities of their choice. GoFundMe campaigns will never get my money again … if face masks are so useless, as some anti-vaxxers claim, then why do doctors where them during surgery? … Great programs to watch on TV: “Yellowstone,” and its prequel “1883.”

Check out Ray Hanania’s columns and political podcasts at hanania.com.