"10 Shootings A Day"
"Where Shootings Occur In Chicago"
"52 Shot, 7 Fatally In Chicago."

When you Google Chicago, this is the news that comes up, especially on a national level.

I've lived in Chicago for going on four years now. I moved here my freshman year of college. Before that, I lived on the border of Gary, Indiana. In my four years here, although I live on the north side, I have experienced gun violence. A student at my university was murdered, and another was shot in a drive-by incident. Gun and gang violence is a serious issue in Chicago, but there is so much more to this city than that.

There's more to Chicago than what Fox News reports about, I promise.

There're the obvious Chicago glories: Our skyline, Wrigley Field, The Bean, Lincoln Park Zoo, etc. But the beauty of Chicago goes beyond that. What about the murals that line the streets of Pilsen? What about the numerous peaceful Black Lives Matter protests? What about the neighborhoods like Rogers Park, where diversity is the norm? What about having the opportunity to try a food from every culture all in one day? What about the beautiful sarees lining Devon avenue?

Why is it that the violence is the only thing that can define us as a city?

When I tell people I currently live in Chicago, they ask incredibly off-putting questions and make such ignorant statements. They don't ask things like, "What part of Chicago?" or "What do you do?" or "How long have you lived there?" Instead, they ask, "Have you ever been shot at?" or "Is it as bad as everyone says?" or "Wow, you don't look like you're from Chiraq."

I'm not here to tell you that gun violence isn't a serious issue in Chicago. It is. It is a problem that needs to be solved - desperately. Chicago is losing so many young and innocent lives due to gun and gang violence.

But I wish that the media and my out of city friends knew the amazing things about my city aside from its violence. It is our job as Chicagoans to express our love and pride for where we live. We need to show the country that there is so much more to us than how the news defines us.