Every time I turn on the news, I'm hit with tragedy after tragedy; most recently, the bombing in Manchester. (You can read all about it here.) Heartless murders are the hardest for me to comprehend. The endless violence in the world is exhausting. I hope and pray that humanity can peacefully coexist in the near future. Here are my wishes for a better world.
1. I wish that people would stop killing each other.
We aren't that different from each other. We may not be the same race or religion, but we are all human. There is nothing worth killing another person over. Unfortunately, it seems that it is human nature to destroy each other.
2. I wish innocent people didn't have to die.
The youngest victim in the Manchester bombing was only eight years old. She had an entire life ahead of her, but it was stolen. When innocent people die, especially children, it breaks my heart.
3. I wish the media would stop making murderers famous.
There have been countless murderers over the years who enjoy the attention that they receive in the media. Instead of plastering their faces all over the news, we should be remembering the victims. They are the names and faces that should live on.
4. I wish it was harder to buy a gun.
I don't believe that guns should be banned entirely. Instead, I think that people who want to buy a gun should go through a vigorous screening process. A mental health evaluation should be a necessary part of buying a firearm.
5. I wish love could fix everything.
The sad truth is that sometimes love isn't enough. I wish that every person in the world got to grow up surrounded by love and support. I wish everyone knew that violence is never the answer, that violence just creates an endless cycle of more violence. I wish everyone chose love instead of hate.
In times like these I like to think about Martin Luther King, Jr. I would love to shake hands with MLK; I think he was an exceptional man who tried to love everybody. I think he could have changed the world if his life wasn't taken from him. Here is my favorite quote from him:
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
My heart goes out to every single person who has died as a result of senseless violence and the loved ones that they left behind. I hope that the future holds far more love than hate and more peace than violence.