I’ve always felt safe in Wichita.

Despite the recent occurrences around WSU campus (and quite frankly all over town), I still don’t feel as if my safety is in jeopardy. I don’t feel threatened or scared. You have to understand I come from a city where violence is the norm.

As a matter of fact, news stations in Lima hardly consider police brutality newsworthy anymore. A wretched hive of scum and villainy (as Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars would surely call it), it certainly makes Wichita seem far from dangerous.

Back home, people advise one against going out at night on their own. Late night strolls around the city are a terrible idea, even in the upper-class neighborhoods, as muggers often find themselves lurking just around the corner.

I’m aware this also happens here in town, yet the hold-ups are usually different. For starters, assailants hold their victims at gunpoint here. In Lima, they shoot first. On the other hand, I have returned home on foot dozens of times from different parts of town and have never witnessed anything unusual.

As of late, I’ve read about numerous car accidents taking place, including the one on Woodlawn and 21st, not far from where I live now. While these were shocking tragedies that left none of the involved parties unscathed, the statistics remain far from unsettling in comparison to cities like Washington D.C. and Baltimore.

Of course, Lima also sees dozens of car accidents every day, which usually result in fatalities. Unsurprisingly, major Peruvian cable networks rarely consider these newsworthy either.

Like many of you, I am also concerned about campus safety. Nevertheless, people just fail to comprehend that violence is everywhere nowadays, as evil is not exclusive to one country or city.

The streets of Wichita may have seemed dark and menacing over the last few days, but this city is still the quiet, “big small town” I’ve learned to love.