I remember it so vividly. Sitting down in front of the TV, Oct. 6, and seeing something I thought we were trying to leave in the past. Things I remember learning about in history classes, reading in books, seeing occur in other places.
On the afternoon of Oct. 5, a group of neo-Nazis were seen waving Swastika flags on a bridge over the highway for approximately three hours. One even held a sign saying “America for the white man.”
I didn’t even know how to describe what I felt while watching everything unfold then, and I still don’t quite know how to put it into words now. I wasn’t even shocked; our world has always been filled with bias and division. I was disappointed, if anything.
It amazed me, watching these people express something so harmful as if it were second nature. They didn’t seem to have any care in the world that what they were expressing was something that negatively impacts so many people in our area, in our country, in our world to this very day.
What was even scarier to me was that although that incident may not have impacted me directly, it really opened my eyes to the fact that a worldwide problem was happening practically in my own backyard. Things I saw happening in Columbus, Ohio and even farther away in Amsterdam, were happening within minutes of my home. I feel like I’ve always been in denial that certain issues, like large-scale hatecrimes, would happen so close to home, yet here I am.
Just days after that incident, FOX 2 News released an article saying St. Louis is ranked 163rd out of 182 cities based on how safe they are. Compared to being ranked as the third most dangerous city in 2023 according to FOX 2 News, some progress is better than none, I won’t deny that, but there’s still so much work to be done.
It’s always good to see crime rates going down. In fact, nationwide, crime rates decreased 11.6% in 2023, according to The New York Times. But we shouldn’t let that overshadow the fact that there is still more progress to be made.
Another article by FOX 2 News talked about multiple carjackings and shootings that happened in St. Louis during the same weekend that the neo-Nazis got together.
Just think about it. What if your car got hijacked? What if someone fired shots at you as you tried to escape? As disturbing as those scenarios may be, they’ve become part of our reality. There is a real and probably chance that these same crimes could happen to us. We never imagine these things happening to us until they actually do. Maybe our county is safer than others, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we are not exempt from experiencing the crime we see around us.
We have to be prepared for these outbreaks of violence, because it’s been proven that they can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. Violence is a current issue in St. Louis; it’s relevant and will never go away. I know that seems disheartening, but there’s always a way to find the positives, even amidst the negativities that surround us. We can look for ways to improve our crime rates, our rehabilitation or our justice systems. We can’t allow ourselves to get so engrossed in hope and optimism that we ignore the cynical reality around us, but, by that same logic, we cannot allow ourselves to believe there is simply no chance for reform.
It’s scary, living out here in this world. People are targeted for simply existing, crimes are a reliable constant, I get it.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is to just look out for each other and be a good person, even if it goes against how others may think and feel. Sometimes the best thing to do is to fight against injustices you notice. We have the power to change what the world looks like, we just have to be responsible with how we react.
When there’s a mass shooting, don’t just say “thoughts and prayers.” Take action; that’s how we can be responsible with how we react. Protest (peacefully), talk to lawmakers about making changes. No changes have been made by sitting in silence, and if we want to see a change, we have to be the ones who take that scary first step.
Change is possible. Change is imminent. Initiate it.
