On Sunday night my roommate and I got back to our dorm at The University of Memphis from a trip back home to Nashville. While sitting in our room watching television, we heard lots and lots of sirens, but we didn’t think much about it. We here sirens like this just about every night of the week and they always sound like they are right outside our dorm building. I even said, “There’s Memphis for you.” Mind you, this impression of the city comes only after a very short month of living here. When I woke up the next morning, I put two and two together and realized that those sirens were from the police cars and ambulances that came to the scene of Taylor Bradford’s murder. Needless to say, this tragedy did nothing for us when it comes to what we think of the city/university. I myself have never even heard a gun shot outside of a shooting range. When I talked to fellow classmates of mine, almost all who are from Memphis, all of them said hearing gun shots is not a rare occurrence here. I was startled at that fact
Out of about 6 or so weeks that I have lived here, I have gone home about 3 or 4 of the weekends. Yes I miss my family and loved ones, but another reason is my family never hesitates to let me come home. They would much rather me come home then go out at night anywhere in Memphis where they feel my life could be in danger. The recent tragedy on campus had all of my family in a frenzy. They even wanted me to come home and get away from the campus on Monday for fear of what might happen. The fact that they called and the first thing they asked me was, “are you alright?” was something I was not used to whatsoever. I could hear the genuine concern in their voices. They were truly worried something had happened to me, something I am not sure they have ever felt before. And even after they knew I was alright, they continued to call and make sure that I was feeling fine, safe, and secure-something, if you ask me, no college student should have to wonder about. Those should be rights as a college student. We are paying money to feel these things with confidence, and now that confidence has been taken from us. Actually, that is something citizens everywhere should have a right to, college student, billionaire, or homeless person. I do understand that that is not exactly how the world works, but this is something we need to constantly be striving for. I’m not sure that is what has been done thus far.
It is up to people like you to really make changes like these. I encourage, ask, and beg of you to find ways to make Memphis a better, safer city. Not just for me, not just for the Bradford family, not just for all the students at The University of Memphis, but for every man or woman, poor or rich that are residents of this city. Safety should be the number one priority of a city. If you don’t have safety in your city, then what do you have? Yes, I have only been in this city a little over a month, but I think you will agree with me in my skepticism of Memphis’s safety. It is no mystery that Memphis has been labeled the most violent city in America. Now is the time to change that, and it is up to. Please don’t let me lose hope in a city like this with so much character and cultural significance because I don’t feel safe.


Thank you for your time,