Blog #4: David Simon Lecture

David Simon, 47, is a graduate from the University of Maryland, a former police reporter of seventeen years for the Baltimore Sun, the author of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, and the well known producer of the HBO television series The Wire. The Wire is a drama based on crime and illegal drug use throughout the city of Baltimore. Simon came up with this theme with the help of his knowledgeable background as a police reporter. Simon’s lecture kicked off the Humanities Symposium “Urban Spaces, Urban Voices.” David Simon is a pessimist who believes that there is no reason to be optimistic. Simon said, “Over the past 50 years, every time this country has had a chance to choose between its people and a stock price, it has chosen wrong.” Simon believes that there are two sides to Baltimore, the side he lives in and the one he writes about and both are very real. He believes that if that these borders continue to build up they will soon lead into two Americas.

At the beginning of this century the United States was the most powerful and affluent country in the world, now however, according to Simon, every year the world becomes a more brutish and cynical place. Simon believes that “Everyday, a human being is worth less than the day before.” Simon expected more of the future; however, capitalism stands in the way of that. According to Simon capitalism has become our “God.” Simon believes that society’s middle class is now being assigned to poverty and the working class no longer exists. In cities such as Baltimore, Simon believes that it is less about race and more about class, money, and power. The media exalts wealth, which is only a fabrication of our desires. For all of us that live in areas that need to take a new direction such as New York City, Baltimore, or Chicago, Simon believes that our futures have been institutionalized for us. Through The Wire, Simon portrays to us urban spaces that we “don’t want to confront.” Simon believes that slogans such as “No Child Left Behind” and “Just Say No” are a bunch of lies. He believes that all children in the Baltimore area are left behind which makes it harder for them to “just say no” because no one has taught them right from wrong. In my opinion children who are left behind or do not know how to say “no” are in that position for a reason. I believe the reason is that they either have parents who simply do not care about their well being, never worked to make anything of themselves, or were unfortunate enough not to receive an education. I agree with Simon when he said that the only job these kids and even adults know is breaking and entering and/or the drug trade on street corners because that is what they have been introduced to. They do not know any better and they do become worth less everyday because they do not have people that care about them. As students here at Loyola and as part of the Year of the City initiative we are inclined to help and make a difference in this city as well as in the lives of others. However, it is a two way street. As students we can only do so much, as the residents of Baltimore they must meet us half way in order for something to be accomplished.

Simon also discussed gated communities in our area and how more of them are being developed throughout the city. These gated communities serve as borders, protecting residents from the “bad” parts of Baltimore. Simon believes that as more gated communities are developed the residents of these communities will grow further and further away from the city of Baltimore. As they grow farther away they will be afraid to travel downtown because it is a “bad area.” As students here at Loyola we can make a difference. If we want the area we are currently living in to change; only we can do something about it.

Tony Hoagland’s poem America corresponds perfectly to David Simon’s lecture. This poem speaks about the barriers in America and what we must do to break them down. Lines 10-11, “Buried alive, captured and suffocated in the folds of the thick satin quilt of America” relate to Simon’s thought on how inner-city Baltimore residents know of nothing better than hanging out on street corners and working the drug trade. That is “their America” that they are wrapped up in. Lines 27-28, “I was listening to the cries of the past, when I should have been listening to the cries of the future” relate to Simon’s thought on how most of the times we are so caught up in our past and what we should have done instead of looking to the future to see what we can do. As a part of the Year of the City it is our job to look to Baltimore’s future and see what we can do to prevent crime and drug trade. Simon strongly believes that we are all so caught up in our own lives that we do not realize what is going on in the community or even the world around us. As of now he believes that we have done nothing to help those suffering in the city of Baltimore. Lines 31-34, “When each day you watch rivers of bright merchandise run past you and you are floating in your pleasure boat upon this river. Even while others are drowning underneath you and you see their faces twisting in the surface of the waters” correspond to Simon’s belief that we are all caught up in our materialistic lives; however, we must take time out to do something about those around us that suffer everyday.

David Simon is a realist and the main goal of his lecture was the get under his listeners’ skin in order to wake them up. He wanted to wake all of us up and have us see the things that he has experienced throughout his career. David Simon knows there are two sides to Baltimore; however, he does not want the situation to get worse and sooner than later create two sides to America. Simon believes that there should be no boundaries in this world and it is up to us to break them down.