Do you feel safer today than you did 4 years ago?

In his 1980 presidential debate, the Republican nominee, Ronald Reagan, asked the now-famous question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Going into this election, that is still the most important question. But perhaps the second most important question is: Do you feel safer today than you did four years ago? According to a Gallup poll, the answer is a resounding no.

Gallup writes, “Forty percent of Americans, the most in three decades, say they would be afraid to walk alone at night within a mile of their home.” And who can blame them for feeling less safe?

If you’re a Jew. Jews attending one of several colleges and universities have been harassed, demeaned, assaulted, even forced to flee and lock themselves inside a building to escape anti-Israel and pro-Hamas radicals.

Alums for Campus Fairness recently surveyed 1,171 Jewish college students and recent grads. According to the survey, “44% of Jewish students report never or rarely feeling safe identifying as a Jew at their school” — significantly higher than pre-Oct. 7, 2023. And 78 percent “avoided certain places, events, or situations at school.”

If you work in a retail store. As I pointed out recently, retail employees don’t feel safer. According to the National Retail Federation’s findings, two-thirds of retailers said criminals were becoming even more aggressive.

When Target announced last year it was closing several stores, the retail giant explained: “We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance.”

If you like to walk in your neighborhood. There are many neighborhoods where individuals and families can walk and play with no fear of being assaulted.

But as the above-mentioned Gallup poll highlights, many Americans don’t feel safe. Those living in a large, blue city run by a progressive mayor, city council and especially a district attorney who has boasted of eliminating cash bail for most crimes, greatly expanded the amount of allowable theft before prosecuting the thieves and often refused to prosecute criminals for serious crimes, may not feel safer than they did four years ago.

You may also feel less safe about the safety of your vehicle. “Carjackings and car thefts are up significantly compared with the number of incidents before the pandemic, prompting fear and calls for action in many American cities,” reports Stateline.

If you want to express your opinion. Americans have a First Amendment right to express their opinions. Yet today, expressing those opinions can be dangerous, especially in certain places — and that’s doubly true for certain opinions.

On college campuses, knowledgeable and respected speakers have been physically challenged, assaulted or simply “canceled” just for the act of speaking about — or being scheduled to speak about — certain issues.

People wearing clothing expressing support for certain causes or political candidates could find themselves assaulted on the streets or campuses.

Female athlete Riley Gaines has been chased, assaulted and was escorted out by campus police just for speaking against the policy of allowing biological males to compete against women in sports. Which takes us to the next point.

If you’re a young girl. There are young girls who feel unsafe when a biological male identifying as female enters the ladies’ restrooms and locker rooms. And that’s especially true when transgender girls participate in girls’ sports.

Instead of accommodating these transgender girls in a way that protects biological girls who fear for their safety, progressives accuse them of transphobia and discrimination. The biological girls do not feel safe, but progressives don’t seem to care.

If you’re hoping for a safer world. President Biden and his foreign policy advisers used to boast that the U.S. is more respected and the world is safer under the Biden administration. Indeed, eight days before Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades.” Bad timing, Jake.

The public is increasingly concerned about the threat of current or future wars. A March YouGov poll found that 61 percent of Americans foresee a world war in the next five to 10 years. And 77 percent think the U.S. would be involved. Those Americans do not feel safer.

While Biden doesn’t bear all the blame, his disastrous response in Afghanistan and his velvet-glove approach to Iran’s support for terrorists surely encourage more aggression.

In that 1980 presidential debate mentioned above, Reagan also asked, “Do you feel that our security is as safe?” That’s the second question you should be asking when you vote.

Merrill Matthews is a public policy and political analyst and the co-author of “On the Edge: America Faces the Entitlements Cliff.” Follow him on X@MerrillMatthews

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