on Fear and Crime

A common question I was asked before I came to South Africa is "are you afraid?" The most common comment given to me was "be careful, it is very dangerous." This didn't stop when I arrived in the country. I spent the better half of my conversations with people telling me where not to go, what not to do, etc. etc. along with graphic descriptions of rape, murder, car jacking, house robbery, and so on. I am not a naturally afraid person (ask my mom), so though I heeded warnings, I did not let it deter me from choosing South Africa in the first place, nor adventuring out of my house once I arrived. However, the barrage of worry has taken a bit of its toll on me. I have been noticing myself a bit jumpy wherever we go, naturally clamping my arms like a death grip over my purse if ANYONE walks up behind me, and the final straw was a couple of weeks ago, as a very pleasant looking man walked past me in broad daylight on a well-populated sidewalk in the safe section of town, I had a literal vision of him suddenly clamping his hands over my throat and strangling me. That is when I decided enough was enough.

Now don't get me wrong, I am all about taking precautions. I look at it like this: it is stupid to get in your car and not put on your seatbelt, but it is more stupid to be so afraid of getting in a car wreck that you never get in the car in the first place, or that you get in the car but you are so jumpy that you slam on your breaks constantly or become so scared that you become a more dangerous driver than you would have been initially.

An interesting example of this was the family that Jeannie and I rented a flat from in Cape Town. They lived in one of the most beautiful places in the city - perched on Table Mountain, overlooking the city bowl and ocean. Their neighborhood was filled with beautifully architectured modern multi-level homes with the mountain as their backyard and the ocean as their front yard. Just beautiful. But the security precaution was unnerving for me. High electric fences, guard dog, signs on the front of their house warning of tear gas, security alarm system on all windows and doors, spotlight out the back door, and, to top things off, they had an alarmed gate that fit over the top of their stairs that they closed and locked each night when they went to bed so that if someone made it in to the house, they would not be able to have access to the upstairs bedrooms. I was a bit shocked when I saw all of this. But it was definitely not unique. Every home in the neighborhood took the same precautionary measures.

This country is essentially at war with itself - which is the title of a book I am reading about the current crisis of crime. In a way, fear is building upon itself and perpetuating what is going on - security fences get higher, more electrified, guard dogs get meaner, alarm systems louder, and potential robbers are coming in more laden down with arms to fight through all of these precautionary measures. I am not going to pretend like I see the real cause or solution to this issue, but I am trying to learn. What I do know is that in the last 3 months, there has been a 450% increase in the number of people immigrating out of the country. As I become more and more settled here, that fact weighs heavily on my heart.

For all of those who love me - know that I take careful precautions - I don't walk alone hardly ever, never at night.. I don't flaunt money or jewelry, I try not to draw attention to the fact I am not a local, etc. etc. And, for all that it matters, I am on the safest campus in South Africa. I wear my seatbelt, if you will. I am working at not feeling jittery about the crime statistics, because that does not help anything. And I refuse to not connect with people because of what part of town they live in. As I understand the situation more thoroughly, I will be sure to update. For now, I refuse to be afraid.