They Don't Ensure Anything

Once again a violent crime occurs at the University of Delaware. This time it's a young woman who's raped by 3 guys behind Christiana East Tower. (where I lived junior year)

The head of UD public safety had this to say,

"The department has increased foot patrols and visibility in the area and is providing all available resources to the detective assigned to the case. "

Furthermore, he calls the crime,

"an aberration from the overall safe environment that exists at the University of Delaware."

"Overall safe environment?" Was it safe for this girl? Those who are victims of crime in Newark know that this is bullshit. There's no such thing as an overall safe environment. It's an illusion, and such rhetoric means nothing once YOU are the one who's safety has been violated. If it's so safe then why was this girl assaulted by a man with a handgun? I thought U of D was a "Gun-Free Zone?" Hell, according to the student code of conduct it's a "Weapons-Free Zone"

Yeah, a lot of good lighting and foot patrols will do for the girl who was raped. One of the routes I walked my Freshman year was nicknamed the "rape trail" because so many women had been assaulted while walking in that area. I knew women who had been raped. I knew guys who'd been robbed, assaulted, and put in the hospital by armed thugs. The campus is only a safe environment in the minds of liberal bureacrats and academics out of touch with reality.

The University campus is expansive. There's just no way in hell for every area of campus to be well lit, and many places are not. In most areas of campus you're not going to see a cop on any given day, and outside of certain areas you're almost guaranteed not to see one at night. Despite what the University might say about this "overall safe environment," the campus is no safer than the city it's intertwined with. Common sense would tell you that it cannot be safer.

He also had this to say,

"We have dedicated Public Safety officers who are fully committed to ensuring the safety of students and staff in and around campus."

Yes, I'm sure they want to keep us safe, but not only are the not obligated to provide safety, they simply cannot do so. But hey, we'll keep telling college kids that government and "the authorities" are both responsible for and capable of protecting them. Wouldn't want them to come to a realization that stresses self-reliance and individual responsibility over collective dependence. Nope, it'd be hard to mold people into good little sheep that way.

Also, it's ironic that Public Safety says they're so committed to safety, since another article discusses how the University is doing away with the escort service. (basically a free taxi service for students)