As part of a class project, I imagined what it might take to systemically change U.S. communities and culture in order to bring about healthy change that has the potential to eliminate U.S. mass violence. Below is what I produced.

I’m interested in hearing what my readers think of this plan, either particular parts of it, the whole of it, or even the idea of it. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment. I only ask that all comments be considerate, avoid hateful or harmful language, and be open to discussion, even (if not especially) with those who may disagree with you. Perhaps by opening a dialogue, we could develop a workable vision.

Life is still pretty crazy, but I will do my best to read and respond to all comments.

Future Visioning

Envisioning a future where there is no mass violence in the U.S. involves envisioning a future where all citizens of the U.S. feel recognized, heard, secure, and included. This is a massive undertaking, and will require addressing several huge issues, such as health security, job/income security, coping/resilience skills, national and interpersonal trust, and cultural traditions.

This framework is addressing the largest demographic of perpetrators of US mass violence, which are white males between the ages of 20-60. For that reason, you will notice that issues of race, sexual identity, and other forms of discrimination are not overtly addressed. This is not to say that these issues are not necessary; they are quite necessary in the large picture. However, there are numerous aspects to this plan that address diversity, inclusion, and acceptance more broadly. Without calling them out specifically, it is the intention that race, sexual identity, ethnicity, gender, and disability among other concerns will be significant parts of these plans. It is also anticipated that addressing some of the other issues of communication, trust, coping skills, and listening, among others, will provide a better basis for addressing discrimination.

30 Years

In 30 years, the goal is to achieve:

1. News/media communication trust
2. Balance of science and religion/faith/spirituality
3. Ample coping resources available to all citizens
4. Both mental health and physical health hold value and lack of stigma
5. Everyone feels a part of a community; nobody feels ‘out-at-sea’ alone
6. Everyone feels secure in their ability to provide for themselves and their families
7. Everyone is trained, skilled, and adept at alternatives to violent resolution
8. Police (or equivalent) focus on community peace and well being as opposed to punishment and incarceration
9. Community success valued over personal success, with all citizens recognizing their value in community success
10. Mediators outnumber lawyers

1 Year

To get to these goals, in the next year, we should start working on:

1. Have a reliable, trustable vaccine available for COVID-19
2. Provide a plan for job and income security for all citizens
3. Start a national conversation on inclusion that doesn’t exclude, intentionally or inadvertently, those in the MAGA and related groups
4. Start outreach programs to followers of QAnon and related groups
5. National outreach council on mitigating hate speech while providing outlets for expression and frustration
6. Develop and distribute regular national messaging of respect for all citizens
7. Explore the dissolution of party politics and return to popular vote instead of the electoral college voting system
8. Begin re-visioning of American Dream to develop more inclusive, ethos-based national image and vision that is realistic and approachable
9. Re-examine unemployment programs, including support, training, opportunities, stigma, and career transition support
10. Work with teachers and administrators on improving tele-teaching and emergency education plans to mitigate problems that arose during COVID-19
11. Develop task force to explore better use of social media to engage voices and let people be heard in healthier ways and above the din of the thousands of voices
12. Turn to sports and games as alternatives to fighting to provide space to express needs to pursue justice

5 Years

To get to these goals, in 5 years, we should start working on:

1. Strengthen and start to unify educational programs nationwide (all students nationally learning under same standards and quality)
2. Early/pre-K education programs nationally begin including coping, resilience, and problem-solving skills development
3. Police programs partner with Alternative Response programs to better handle emotional, mental, and interpersonal disturbance calls
4. Community-building projects developed nationwide that focus on unity, understanding, and community-based support
5. Job transition programs are developed in unemployment agencies that focus on better training, resources, and counseling for career transitions as industries and markets change
6. Science For Everyone program developed: examining best practices and methods of making science accessible, approachable, and communicable to everyone
7. Listening skills become part of curricula in Pre-K-High School programs
8. Nationwide organization and task force look at ways to bridge science and religion/faith, and engage both as necessary parts of social well being
9. Forgiveness Parks: parks emerge in cities nationwide that provide space, learning, and opportunities to address national acceptance, healing, and forgiveness
10. Local governments convene panels of citizens and scholars to address morals, ethics, and community values
11. All phones are equipped with apps for reporting concern for citizens at risk of emotional or stress breakdown; apps are tied to systems of support that safely, discreetly, and respectfully provide support to those reported
12. An app and other resources are developed to assist citizens with self-coping and outreach resources and skills, resiliency skills, and problem solving

10 Years

To get to these goals, in 10 years, we should start working on:

1. Police use of and access to firearms and other deadly weapons is reduced
2. Increase high school graduation rates and college attendance rates nationally with increased support and mentoring programs (former students mentoring current students)
3. Establish “Foreign Exchange” type programs among U.S. states – high school students, as part of graduation requirements, spend a semester living with a family in another state
4. Establish a Boxing Day type holiday in the U.S. to encourage diversity and power relations understanding in the workforce
5. Use of monetary awards in lawsuits reduced in favor of more mediation in disputes
6. Police are no longer rated on their performance based on number of tickets or arrests
7. Review boards for journalism are established to provide checks and balances for news reporting (similar to peer review boards for scholarly journals and research)
8. PSAs are used more prominently to promote patience, understanding, coping skills, resilience, and value of all citizens
9. Mental health receives same level of care and benefits as traditional medicine under insurance plans
10. Mental health is a regular part of the annual physical exam criteria

20 Years

To get to these goals, in 20 years, we should start working on:

1. Public image of police forces is improved; police are seen as part of mediation, peace keeping, and containment
2. More cooperation exists among prison system, mental health system, and transition programs
3. Prisons are not overcrowded, include regular counseling and mentoring for all inhabitants, and have successful transition programs nationwide
4. Stigma is removed from prisoners and offenders to see issues to resolve instead of prisoners to punish; accomplished through outreach, PSAs, and national communications program
5. All college and early career programs include a mentorship program with community leaders and models to provide training and opportunity for success and advancement to all graduates
6. A National Healing holiday recognizes space and need for national healing; promotes cross-cultural connections and acts of peace and healing (I would place this earlier, but feel the training in the earlier years is needed to make this most successful)
7. Churches and community services work with police to provide safe shelter to victims of domestic abuse, bullying, sex abuse, and drug abuse in every community and accessible securely to all
8. Big Brother/Big Sister or similar programs are available and standard across all communities for all children missing one or more parents; this will require overhaul and auditing of the Big Brother/Big Sister program to remove any current problems that discourage participation (for either children/families or volunteers) or privilege certain participants
9. The legal system and its rules and regulations is made more accessible to the general public, allowing citizens to understand all proceedings, rulings, guidelines, and paperwork
10. Internet trolls and bullying is mitigated and participants provided with counseling and rehabilitation

25 Years

To get to these goals, in 25 years, we should start working on:

1. Community services are better networked and have better means and methods of communication to integrate services for extended, comprehensive, holistic approaches to care, rehabilitation, early warnings, and interventions (police, hospitals, mental health care, social services, unemployment, career counseling, etc.)
2. All citizens are trained in and habituated in using self-coping and outreach apps and resources for coping skills, resiliency, and problem solving
3. Job flexibility programs are in place to provide intermediary support between job changes and career changes: training, resources, and opportunities for continued work in temporary locations alongside transition mentoring
4. Regular town halls are established in all communities, with representatives receiving mediator, peacekeeper, and listener skills training.
5. With a better educated and equipped citizenry, national discussions are more productive and able to extend into deeper conversations about the national past and mistakes and crimes that have been committed by multiple groups throughout the decades; these can take place in the now established community forums, enriched school programs, and national communications
6. The hope is that by this time, more earnest discussions and actions can take place to greatly reduce the weaponization of U.S. citizens, reducing reliance on guns for security and conflict resolution
7. Law school programs have established equally strong programs in mediation and peace negotiation, reducing the number of lawyers and increasing the number of mediators
8. Pharmaceutical use is reduced, reducing dependence on, and potential subsequent addiction to, pharmaceuticals due to increased self-coping mechanisms and increased medical and mental health care
9. Citizens, scholarly groups, media, and government are more savvy and ethical in their use of social media, providing a safer platform for being heard and feeling a part of a more national, unifying conversation; also providing safe outlets for expression and outreach
10. Through an integrated community resource of police, Alternative Responders, outreach groups, and medical care facilities, citizens feel safe, confident, and non-stigmatized reaching out for assistance when needed, averting escalation of smaller crises