Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius shocked the world and touched millions of peoples’ hearts during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Not only did he bring hope to disabled individuals through his inspiring achievements and dedication to multiple charities, but he also brought pride back to South Africa, a country with a complex reputation and turbulent past. Unfortunately, Pistorius recently shocked the world again after he admitted to shooting his girlfriend, model and lawyer Reeva Steenkamp. Now the famed track star has gone from an Olympic hero to just another statistic in South Africa’s disturbing crime rate.

Considering I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, I have somewhat of an insight toward the different culture of the country. I have witnessed the crime and violence within South Africa firsthand, which is one of the reasons why my family decided to move to Carmel. Pistorius claims that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder in his house, therefore justifying the shooting. This is a reasonable concern in South Africa, where there are approximately 17,000 home break-ins each year.

If, in fact, Pistorius honestly did believe that Steenkamp was an intruder in his house, I would be more sympathetic to him, as I have experienced the paranoia that faces many South Africans each day. Because of the alarming robbery and violence statistics, the citizens have needed to adjust to the high crime by being overly cautious in order to protect themselves and their families. For example, some of my South African relatives have pet pit bulls to protect their surroundings, and others keep guns. This anxiety that stems from the African culture may be what caused Pistorius to shoot his girlfriend. However, the message is much greater than if Pistorius is “innocent” or not. Murder and other vicious crimes are happening in South Africa, the United States and every other country on a daily basis that society has learned to accept.

The case was so publicized because of Pistorius’ fame, but what if every act of murder or violence were treated so publicly and severely around the world? If people and the media paid as much attention to all the crimes happening on a daily basis, maybe it would shed a light on the problems our world faces today. This case should be a wake up call not only to South Africa, but also to the whole world. The murder of Steenkamp received the huge amount of media popularity due to Pistorius’ high profile, yet this type of violence is taking place every day without any type of coverage, allowing people to take a blind eye to it.

South Africa is known as a “frontier society,” as it is the most urbanized country in Africa and shares many similar characteristics to the United States. With that being said, 17 people die each day due to gun violence alone within South Africa. This statistic stems from the ethnic divisions that plague the country and lead to the violence. While the United States thankfully has a lower death rate per capita, the crime that occurs here almost parallels that of South Africa’s in that cases go unheard.

This goes back to the concern about a lack of publicity for this violence. The only way for these crimes to come to a stop starts with you, the people. We need to shed light on the violence so that more individuals know and understand the crime that is happening in the world each day. If people are knowledgeable about these statistics, maybe world leaders will start paying attention to the brutality and bring it to an end. Obviously there is no easy way to stop the violence regardless of the country, but if more news and media coverage of these wrongdoings were brought to the attention of important leaders, it would be a good first step in ending the violence. The Pistorius case should act as a wake up call to people around the world: tragedies similar to that of Steenkamp’s are happening on a daily basis, and it is not okay.

While I have effectively just made South Africa appear to be a dangerous and scary country, still know that not every aspect of the culture is bad. I am proud to say that I am South African. My hope is that one day the violence will end so that people will be more inclined to visit and share its beauty. The violence of the country as well as the United States can and will come to an end, but it starts with shedding a light on the problems we face. Oscar Pistorius has ruined his life and the lives of many others through the murder of Steenkamp, but let it be the “bullet in the chamber”, or first step, to clarify the need for a change in society.

Caitlin Muller is a reporter for the HiLite. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach her at [email protected].