Two Officers Down

There can be no celebrations of independence without being reminded of “the cost of freedom.”

This phrase used to refer to the men and women who died in the armed forces. They sacrificed their entire lives so that we might get the chance to live. At least, that’s what we’ve been told. I’m not sure it qualifies as sacrifice if you’re forced against your will.

But times have changed. Freedom comes at different costs now, one of them being our safety as ordinary citizens. At Independence Day celebrations across the US, dozens of people were shot. Too many were killed.

In Philadelphia where my friends and I were celebrating, two police officers were shot by the Art Museum as fireworks began. We were 3 miles away in South Philly, watching the celebrations from different neighborhoods all across the city. A friends texted in a group chat asking if we were okay. We then went to Twitter. “ACTIVE SHOOTER ON PARKWAY.”

Right away, we made sure everyone knew about the situation and how to get home safe (avoid 76 West). Maybe the celebration could’ve continued, but when people are fleeing for their lives only miles away, the proper response is to shut down the party and get home safe.

This was the second time in as many months we were a couple miles away from a shooting…that was nationally televised. There are plenty of shootings in Philadelphia that don’t make the news. Philadelphia’s Office of the Controller maps all fatal and nonfatal shootings. As of July 4, there’ve been 267 homicides (down 5% from last year), 957 nonfatal shootings, and 242 fatal shootings in Philadelphia.

The shootings over the holiday weekend were devastating, unjust, and horrifying. So are the shootings that happen every day. When someone is shot, an entire network of family and friends feels the wound. Why does national news only care when it happens on the Parkway or South Street?

As we grapple with a more dangerous world, we are faced with many intolerable questions: Is it safe to go out? Am I prepared if something goes wrong? How will I protect my family? It’s upsetting to see safety nets around us fall apart, but the reality is the world is a dangerous place. We must stay alert, well informed, and ready to act. As calm as possible, we have to be ready to respond and make sure everyone gets home safe.

And we need to creatively reimagine how we can make a safer world. With urgency. Before more people are killed. We need to figure something out together–because a bullet doesn’t care who you voted for.