It was a warm Friday evening, and I decided to take a walk through downtown Memphis. The city lights glimmered, music drifted from a nearby café, and yet… something felt off. A group of people shouted at each other across the street, and a patrol car slowly cruised past, lights flashing quietly but insistently. I couldn’t help but wonder: why do so many American streets feel tense these days?
As it turns out, my experience wasn’t isolated. Gallup reports that up to 40% of Americans—the highest in 30 years—are afraid to walk alone at night near their homes. In cities, half of adults say they feel unsafe living there and wouldn’t step out alone after dark. Women and lower-income residents report feeling the most nervous.
Even with some violent crimes dropping, anxiety is still high. Nearly half of people see crime as a serious problem, and about a third steer clear of parts of their own towns, too nervous to drive or walk through them.
Political divisiveness fanning the flames
Politics used to stay on TV screens and in newspapers. Now, it seems to spill onto the streets. 81% of Americans say media and politicians stoke hostility, and studies, particularly a 2021 analysis by ACLED, show that demonstrations involving firearms are 6.5 times more likely to turn violent than those without…