Chicago: A City of Contradictions
by Lynda Lopez
Chicago is a city of contradictions. There is so much beauty that lies within the veins of this great city yet there is a paradoxical ugliness that is present in neighborhoods across Chicago. I have lived a relatively calm existence but I have witnessed and felt the pain that violence inflicts on the people of Chicago. The violence is often senseless but it leaves everlasting scars. One example that always comes to mind when I think of "senseless violence" is a fight that I witnessed as I biked home from work one summer evening.
I had just crossed the street at Central Park and Fullerton and was passing the giant parking lot across the street from the Tony's food store. As I biked along the street, I saw a gathering of 6-7 people. There was a commotion and then one girl and one guy started to throw punches at each other while the rest watched. I instantly biked faster because it looked like the making of a bigger confrontation. I think back to that day and feel a bit cowardly. I felt fear rather than sympathy. Should I have felt sympathy if both guy and girl seemed to be instigating the fight? Violence brings out the best and worst in people. It may have brought out my fear but at least I was able to take a gander of the typical violence that occurs on the streets of Chicago. Through firsthand experience comes greater knowledge.
A recent high school graduate, Lynda Lopez has been living in Chicago her whole life. Through her words, she wishes to share her story of how she experiences violence in Chicago.
