Assaults. Burglaries. Robberies. Theft. Murders. Growing up in an urban community in Philadelphia, I witnessed all of these.

I have also been a victim of many of them, as have my friends and members of my immediate family. Unfortunately, they are the crimes that residents of the nation’s biggest cities regularly experience. Media reports cover these horrific tragedies, but the victims are often quickly forgotten about as people become desensitized to the senseless violence occurring throughout the country.