Imagine, if you will, life in a place where law and order have broken down. Muggings are common, unsurprising, even expected. People have to travel in groups just to feel safe, even to go just a few blocks. And a vicious murder is carried out in the early evening at a public shopping area, in plain sight.
Am I describing war-torn Baghdad? The slums of New York or Los Angeles?
If only. To see the situation I just described, one needs look no farther then Duke's own neighborhood.
It might seem like I'm exaggerating, but think about it. Students are regularly robbed on the two blocks from East Campus to Ninth Street. Students need to find themselves a pack just to go out. I can't walk from my Central Campus apartment to East for fear of what may be lurking in the trees, and I've gotten so many crime-related e-mails from Larry Moneta that I don't even read them anymore.
And in case you missed it, last Saturday a man was stabbed to death inside Northgate Mall, just a few blocks up Broad Street from my old dorm, in public, at a quarter to six in the evening. I'm sorry, but in the civilized world, that's not even close to acceptable.
It was John Locke who first articulated the responsibility of government to protect life, liberty and property. The Founding Fathers later expanded the last in that list to "the pursuit of happiness." We can have a hearty debate about liberty and whether it is being protected right now, but it seems obvious to me that life and property are getting the shaft.
At least it's good to know that since I've been at Duke, Durham law enforcement has been dedicated to going after Public Enemy No. 1: us. After all, between draconian alcoholic crackdowns, false rape allegations, questionable marijuana "stings" that get dismissed for lack of evidence and canceling investigations into their own conduct, when could they possibly have time for a few thugs, robbers and murderous gangs?
What really makes me furious in all this is how much I want to like Durham. I've lived here pretty much continuously for two and a half years now, staying both of the last two summers, and there's a lot going for the place. The people are friendly, there's a vibrant local artist community and residents are dedicated to supporting local businesses, craftspeople and farmers. I even find the pinko hippie Durham worldview as endearing as it is wrong.
I want to explore the revitalized downtown. I want to find all the local nooks and crannies that give cities like Durham their charm. I want this city to be part of my Duke experience, but crime gets in the way and stays there.
So what, after all this, can we do as Duke students? When Jefferson wrote the words I cited, he was arguing that a government that didn't protect essential rights can be legitimately overthrown. Luckily we live in a democracy, so we don't have to resort to that, but surely it is time for you and I to start voicing our opinions on how this city is run.
Duke is a part of Durham, and no amount of will on either part will disconnect the two. We, the student body, should try to feel a sense of ownership in this city and a concern for what happens here. We have a right to complain about crime and other issues, and the public officials have a duty to do something about them, and to explain why they haven't so far. After all, if they can clean up Times Square, surely it is within the realm of human ability to clean up Ninth Street.
And oh, look, here comes the mayoral race. Should we support the incumbent, Bill Bell, or the challenger Thomas Stith? I have no idea, but I'm going to start looking into it now, and so should you. I'm going to make a real commitment in the time I've got left here to become a good and active citizen, not only so I can improve Durham, but so that Durham can improve for me and for Dukies in years to come.
Most of all, we should stop pretending that there's nothing we can do, that it's just the way things are, or that someone else will fix the problem. I'm going to start taking action. Are you in?
Oliver Sherouse is a Trinity junior. His column runs every other Wednesday.
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