Target: Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand
Goal: Build better mental health support for law enforcement and military personnel to prevent mass casualty events.
It’s a somber and heartbreaking scene that has become all-too familiar in America. Grieving communities gather with personal mementos and other remembrances for small children taken by unthinkable violence. This time, however, the world’s latest mass casualty event involving minors took place in Thailand, where an ex-cop allegedly entered a nursery and daycare armed with a gun and a knife. By the time he left, over 30 people, including 23 children, had reportedly been fatally attacked. The carnage was not done yet, though. The suspect reportedly then killed his son and the child’s mother at a separate location before ending his own life.
Such a shocking crime is not unheard-of in the country. A couple of years prior, a soldier allegedly shot 20-plus people to death at a military installation and, later, a mall. Gun laws are generally strict in Thailand, although ownership rates are significantly higher than in other Asian countries. The main problem seems to be the easy access troubled individuals have to these deadly weapons. In both of the recent mass killings, younger men with a history of potential substance abuse and mental health issues reportedly carried out the crimes. Both of these suspects were also involved in either law enforcement or the military, granting them close and regular contact with weapons. This serious and increasingly deadly disconnect needs to be addressed urgently.
Sign the petition below to demand Thai leaders do everything in their power to prevent more futures from being stolen senselessly.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Prime Minister Chan-o-cha,
Few sights are more horrendous and heart-wrenching than a procession of tiny coffins. Thailand recently endured this tragedy, and may it never have to endure another. To keep the worst from ever happening again, however, critical issues need to be acknowledged and confronted.
Foremost is the seemingly potent combination of mental health and drug crises amongst the nation’s police and armed forces. By the nature of their jobs, individuals in these professions require enhanced and ongoing aid to deal with the tremendous stressors placed upon them. Too often, their very real problems are swept aside, hidden, and buried in shame and guilt. And with the easily available access these struggling citizens have to deadly weaponry, tragedies on both a small and large scale are seemingly inevitable.
Please help at least some measure of healing and progress to arise from these tragic events. Prioritize mental health screenings and aid for all individuals dedicated to military and law enforcement public service.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: –Alexey Demidov
401 Signatures