A few days before my departure to New York City for the summer, my mom cautioned me, expressing her worry about the kinds of people who wander the city streets who are capable of anything. Such instances of "anything" can be seen through the crash that happened in Times Square only a few days ago in which an 18-year-old woman was killed wandering the illustrious streets of the city with her younger sister. The driver of the vehicle later expressed his intent to maim the innocent civilians he mowed into that day. News of the wreck was shocking and simultaneously terrifying. Yet somehow, the following day, it was as if the crash had not taken place, and that those who were not directly affected by its horrendous outcome were seemingly numb to it.

A short while after the Times Square crash, came the Manchester explosion that killed a rising number of 22 people, and injured 50 or so more. This massacre was almost unspeakable, as the horrific event that took place shook the world. The suspect was identified as a 22-year-old man of Libyan descent who too was driven by an intent to take the lives of an undeserving number of people who left this earth prematurely. And while the ripple effect that took place following this event lasted longer than that of the incident in Times Square, eventually, we turned a blind eye to it, again, numb.

So how do these tales of tragedy relate to my mother's want for me to ensure my own security in a new place that is larger than any I have encountered? Through an apparent inability to ensure that security she so wishes for me. Across the world, there are people - sick people - who do not discriminate in regards to those for whom they feel contempt or those they wish to hurt. Even with the utmost effort, there is no guarantee that anyone is safe. Yet because day in and day out we cannot experience these incessant fears that perhaps the person behind us is hiding an explosive in their vest or a gun in their bag, we assume this state of numbness.

This is not to say that we do not feel anguish for those affected, nor do we feel a piece of our sense of security shrivel up and die like the petal of a flower. But we have seen these instances far too often to allow them to pierce the bubbles that are our lives, when instead, we should be taking action to assure that these events are minimized. Yet while I write this article, I know that the same thing has been said time and again; stricter gun regulations must be set in place, harsher security measures must be taken. No effort has yet proven strong enough, but we needn't let our failures be our demise. No one woman should venture out into the world with the fear of being barreled down by a car, nor should they be massacred while amongst their peers while following their love of music. Something must be done. But what?