To the editor:

For several years now, there has been a constant and increasing drumbeat by media and government types about providing safety and safe spaces. Nothing could be further from the truth. Safety is an elusive and subjective theory. Life is inherently unsafe. One cannot wrap self in some completely proof safety blanket and enjoy the benefits. We, all of us, must venture daily into the sea of unsafety and do our best to stay safe and hopefully help others. One’s home should be a fortress of personal safety. Wrong.

Case in point. Somebody was recently attacked and hurt by an invited guest at the house. Luckily, the neighbor was quick to react, intervened, and was able to break off the attack, called rescue and police. As almost always, first responders arrive after the initial incident and deal with the aftermath of the event. So personal safety is entirely in the hands of every one of us. No government agency, no matter how much they promise, can provide you with some tangible safety guarantees. Everyone of us should be able to “read” the situations and have, if minimal, situational awareness. Know your limitations. Some places or events are just not worth even going to, for some. Others require at least a minimal understanding of the space where you are.

Unfortunate events can happen in the blink of an eye. One must have some ability to react before, during and after, if something happens. This is nothing new. Our ancestors had to deal with far greater dangers and were able to navigate those. Part of that knowledge was the ability to rely on people next to you. Be that your neighbors, colleagues or even strangers in the crowd. We are losing that ability of acting united; we must get it back. Only those horizontal connections with other people can provide relative safety, not some fictitious safe space set up from above by some government agency.

Sergei Sharenko
25 Monterey Dr.