Last week, there was a man on a Greyound bus in California who suddenly became disturbed and agitated. He said Los Angeles was a dangerous city to be in, was bothering other people on the bus, and started murmuring about undercover police officers being on the bus. When the bus got to a stop in Oroville, people started getting off and the man pulled out a gun, shot and killed a 43-year old man, shot and wounded a pregnant woman in her 30’s, shot an 11-year old girl, and then shot and wounded a fourth person. He then ran to a nearby Walmart, got into a fight with a customer, ran off somewhere else, took his clothes off, and was caught and taken to jail by the police. This man had a history of mental illness and critical offenses. In fact, he was out on bond when he committed the Greyhound bus shooting. This is the kind of crime that strikes at the very heart of American society. These people were simply on a bus and unexpectedly got shot.
If we are to survive, we have to become a compassionate society. A compassionate society does not let people who are troubled roam the streets. Instead, it cares enough about its people to protect them and get help for those who need it. We have to become a compassionate society and stop these kinds of things because people will not defend a democratic society that can’t stop mass shootings. Why should they defend a society that can’t keep them safe? If I had children, I wouldn’t want them growing up in today’s world where they might get shot just for being on a bus. A society that can’t stop these things isn’t going to survive much longer. People will put up with anything if they think it will make them safer.
There are many things we can do to stop this kind of violence. First, we need to invest in better mental health care. Second, we need to make stricter gun restrictions so people can’t obtain guns as easily. Third, we need to conduct a nationwide campaign against hate and violence. Finally, we need to let people who are troubled, angry, and violent know that there are places they can go to for help. We need to invest in social and emotional intelligence skills classes to help these people. We also need to get the message out that violence is not the answer. Nobody seems to be doing that. We need to have a nationwide conference where people from all walks of life can talk about this and brainstorm solutions because people will accept an authoritarian society if they think there are no better options available. When democracy fails, people start looking for alternatives, and when mass murder starts running rampant in our society, we will know that democracy has failed. We shouldn’t be surprised if we end up losing our right to vote and losing our inclusive society if we don’t do something to stop this violence. People care about having an inclusive society, but they also want the world to be safe for them and their children. If we don’t start taking action to make society safer, we might lose our freedom.
We have to turn our society into a compassionate one that cares about people and keeps bad things from happening. If people are mentally ill and have committed numerous crimes, they clearly need help. Our society should care enough to get help for these people and not let them walk around carrying dangerous weapons when they should be getting mental health treatment. A compassionate society is about giving people the skills they need in order to survive in an inclusive society. Knowing how to get along with people is crucial because without it, you can’t get a job, you can’t get a girlfriend, and you’ll probably get expelled from school. What good does that do? We need to give people what they need in order for them to be able to function in society. If we don’t, we shouldn’t be too surprised if democracy goes down the drain and we wake up to find our rights gone. That is the consequence that will happen if society is not able to protect its own people. Failed societies don’t last very long, so we must become a compassionate one that doesn’t let mass shootings run rampant.