Sounds in the Night

Being in Chicago is a most interesting experience. It is a very large ethnically diverse city that is certainly divided along the lines of socio-economic and educational status. By this I mean that there are places where only African-American people live; places where only white people live; places where both live; places where only affluent people live; and places where only non-affluent people live. In the midst of this diversity is a propensity for gun violence amongst and between the various groups. In the U.S. 11,000 people die from handgun related crimes every year. In Chicago at least one young person is shot in school every week. Nationally Chicago rates #2 on the list of violent crimes involving firearms.
Where I’m staying is in a part of the city known as Hyde Park. The University of Chicago is located in this part of the city and in order to combat the level of violent crime has its own police force. Now most universities, even in Canada, have “campus security,” yet that’s not what I’m talking about here. In Chicago the university has its own police force complete with side arms, cruisers and the whole deal. The result is that Hyde Park has two level of policing Chicago PD and University PD, making Hyde Park one of the safer places in Chicago.
Even with all that police presence I awoke Tuesday evening to what I can only describe as “popping” sounds. At first I thought they might be firecrackers, yet it was about 2AM when I heard these sounds. Then I realized they sounded a little different and appeared to be almost responding the one to the other. It was then that I realized they were probably gun shots. Now that’s a sound I’m not familiar with hearing in the middle of the night. Sounds like the dog barking, someone going to the bathroom, a car going down the street or a horn blaring, yet not gun shots. What struck me was that for many in Chicago (and too many other places around the world) this sound was very familiar to them and it would probably been an unusual night not to wake up hearing gun shots. In the morning I began to wonder what that does to a person’s outlook on the world when the absence is what’s noted. How does this change your world view, your sense of security, your ability to enjoy life and what you take for granted? Hopefully those are the last I hear while I’m here, yet as I write I’m sure there is someone either getting shot or being shot at somewhere in this city that has become my home for three weeks of the year. Does that mean I have a responsibility or a role in preventing these events? To tell you the truth I really don’t know.