STOP THE VIOLENCE
STOPPING VIOLENCE: BRIMINGWITH SOLUTION S
We must modify our culture to prevent violence in the USA. There are so many ways we promote that the response to anger at wrongs real or imagines is to harm and to kill. We must find a way to stop it.
It is estimated civilians own 393 million guns in the USA which is more than the 4.5 million owned by the USA military. The mere constitutional right to bear arms is the same as saying you have the right to use said arms for any reason. Such as someone knocking on your door or turning around in your driveway.
Since that perception is unlikely to change we must take other steps to stop the violence. We are killing our children and within this horrific reality we are saying this country has no future.
According to World Population Review so far for 2025 the USA has 288 school shootings followed by Mexico with 8, South Africa 6, Pakistan 4 and Nigeria 4.
Beyond school shootings, our culture routinely suborns citizens murdering one another. The average annual number of homicides in the USA number 22,380 homicides. In five years that is over 100,000 people. The Murder Accountability Project estimated there have been over 250,000 unsolved homicides since 1980 and over 346,000 since 1965. If humankindin our country is to evolve we must put a stop to this level of violence.
Japan's population is 124 million, Singapore's population is 5.87 million and Norway's is 5.5 million. These countries often achieve low murder rates through strict laws, high levels of social stability, and limited access to firearms, contributing to overall safety and security.
When we look at our country and we want to stop the violence, then we must start with persons who enforce the laws that basically entail our values.
When I looked at American values as liberty, equality, individualism, self-government, and diversity which are rooted in the nation's founding documents there is no messaging for the valuing of life.
Other prominent values include hard work, innovation, progress, materialism, and a strong belief in the "American Dream.” (opportunity and upward mobility) . No where in these values do we suborn the value of life. There is very little messaging of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
We must repeal all laws that message violence is normal. We must repeal stand your ground, right to point arms, use of lethal force, justifiable homicide. We must not message any reason that murder is an acceptable response for any dispute, altercation or motive. Police must use non-lethal weapons.
The police, judges, attorneys and other justice system personnel must teach government and law at age-appropriate levels in schools and in civic groups
These laws in layman’s terms must be on every school and municipal government website. This includes traffic laws, criminal and civil law. In doing so we are teaching the value of life.
We can stop the violence by investing in our citizens. All schools must have career and evidence-based education. All schools must have classes on emotional intelligence which teaches how to manage emotions in all relationships including ways to avoid violent outcomes.
Mental and physical health must be taught in schools and in community centers across the country. The National Institute of Mental Health estimated in 2022 there are approximately 59.3 million persons living with mental illness (23 percent of the USA population. In schools and community centers, online we must engage in mental health screenings and work to find healthcare that removes mental health as a driving force for violence.
To start we extend police training to 3 years and use Norway’s police training program. They have a record of no police killings and the killings of police. Police cab carry weapons but must use non-lethal weapons. Repeal stand your ground, repeal police can use lethal force, eliminate in fear of life excuses, eliminate split second decision situations in training and repeal point your gun. Police are to use non-lethal weapons in all instances or back up and hold for de-escalation and non-lethal resolutions. Police in this country are not trained for non-violent approaches.
The community must collaborate with police to stop violence. We can not hand over all our social ills to the police. The police and community must collaborate to stop violence. Some examples include.
Theft: Communities must take significant paricipation for stopping residential and commercial theft.
Collaborate with police to install surveillance audio visual cameras in strategic places. Post messages that THIS AREA IS SURVEILLED). Install alarm systems.
Install anti-theft/tracking technology in automobiles at the manufacturing level as well as after market anti theft tools.
Police collaborate with communities to teach the law in schools, libraries and online
(school website, police website, municipal websites).
State and local behavior scientists must teach police, the communities, schools have to deal with mental illnesses. They must develop better medications that prevent mental health crisis episodes. All police teams in every zip code must be taught how to identify and handle mental health situations and must have a mental health professional assigned to their teams.
It is beyond time in our history to triage this country and stop the violence and stop the killing. It is evolution or extinction.
Priscilla Pride is a former News Reporter for the African American Newspaper, Editorial Assistant for Sun Papers Baltimore, MD. Columbia University graduate degree - Librarian/Media Specialist, Economic Development Administrative Analyst/Project Manager and Solution Advocate and Implementation Director for Brimingwith,org Think Tank
