How did you spend your Monday night? On Monday night I was at friend's birthday party, hanging with friends and enjoying time outside. Unfortunately that was not what was happening in several areas of Chicago that same night.
Somebody was walking home late from work, somebody was driving in his car, and still, someone else was merely enjoying the evening sitting on their porch. One elderly woman refused to give up her purse while being robbed and even still a young man, not much older than myself, had to drive himself to the hospital.
We all hear it on the news every single night, but to read that so many people were shot, in just one night, made me sit down and write this.
I realized that my friends and family do all these same things on any given night, but we don't have to worry or think about these scenarios nearly as much in our own neighborhoods. How is it that on Monday night when I was worrying about what to wear and what a great time my friends and I would have, someone else was running in fear from a robbery or sitting in the driver's side of their car when they were shot.
We did not have to ride in an ambulance or spend a night in the hospital so that we could be "stabilized" from our injuries. We did not have to call the police or find the yellow police tape wrapped around our house which had now become a crime scene.
On Monday night, I picked out clothes for the party, stopped to buy a present, and drove by the gas station to gas up my car. I did what was just "regular stuff" for me to do, while others like me were being shot in the stomach, feet, legs, and arms. How can things be so different?
Monday night did however end with good news. Of all 15 that were shot that night in Chicago, luckily nobody died from their injuries. And even though this is in itself good, is this really what we want to hear? This instead of no shootings at all? Gun violence seems to have become the norm for many, and this is sad. Nobody should feel unsafe in their everyday life, that's not living.
Monday night is done. Now on to Tuesday.
