Everyone is talking about shootings, gun control, and mental illness. People keep saying that the problem is guns or assault weapons and the answer is background checks. But it won’t be enough.

The real problem is we live in a society where people are disposable. We throw away the bad kids, poor people, single parents and their children, senior citizens, sick and disabled people, unemployed people, undereducated people, veterans, and many other underrepresented people.

In addition to DEMANDING an end to mass shootings and gun violence, what about DEMANDING an end to rape, elder abuse, the VA backlog, unemployment, poor or no healthcare, limited access to education, discrimination, racism, drunk driving, addiction, the stigma on mental illness, etc?

I want to live in a country and community where we contribute to all lives and not just the selective few we are most comfortable or familiar with.

There has been a random act of kindness campaign going around for the people that were killed in the shooting in Connecticut, but I say go out of your way every day to be nice and kind, not just after a tragedy.