There is no way to escape violence anymore.

It seems as though violence is everywhere and unavoidable. This past week alone, there has been a numerous amounts of terrible acts that have left me shocked.

For instance, a woman driving for Lyft was brutally stabbed Jan. 27. She was stabbed inside her vehicle and continued to be attacked outside her car as well. She and her unborn child died while suspect Fabian Darazo, 20, stole her vehicle and drove from Phoenix, Arizona to near the California border.

Then, on Jan. 31, Francisco Diaz, 45, was arrested for allegedly slitting the throat of an Arizona Uber driver. A Fox News article states that, “The unidentified Uber driver told police that Diaz was picked up from a Buffalo Wild Wings in Goodyear, Ariz. Wednesday night. During the ride, the 45-year-old produced a “large knife” he later used in an unprovoked attack to slash and stab the driver before he fled from the vehicle.” The driver called 911 as soon as Diaz fled and was rushed to the hospital immediately. He told 12 News that he received over 20 staples to his throat.

While yes, driving for Uber or Lyft can be risky due to the fact you could be driving anyone who could be capable of anything, they were just doing their jobs. They did not deserve the treatment they received.

Another example of innocent lives who were greatly effected by violence is in an article by Fox News. It states, “Police are hunting for the man who murdered a pregnant woman and her unborn child Sunday, with officials and witnesses saying the killer repeatedly stabbed the 35-year-old real estate agent before dragging her body into the vestibule of her New York City apartment building, where he left her screaming in vain for help.” The New York Police Department stated that she received multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest. The article then states that the police are looking for the woman’s boyfriend.

Now, this incident being as recent as it is, no one knows why exactly this woman was dragged out of her apartment and treated as horribly as she was. But one thing is for certain, no one deserves to die this way, especially while pregnant. 

Lastly, a high school football player and honor roll student was killed in what seems to have been a drug deal gone bad. Joshua Meeks, 11th grader from Mauldin High School in Greenville, South Carolina was shot and killed Tuesday. However, Greenville County deputies states that they found his body dumped in a different county Thursday. The article states that, “On Friday, deputies charged Lyric Lawson, 18, of Greenville, with helping Croft dispose of the body … Lawson, Croft and the juvenile were all behind bars.” Some students stated during police interviews that Joshua was going to meet a new drug dealer. They then state that there was “’Copious amounts’ of blood covered the passenger seat in Joshua’s car when police found it.”

There has been so many tragic incidents that have occurred this last week. And while yes, it seems as though some of these people might have put themselves into a more dangerous situation than they should have been in, none deserved to be taken from this Earth in utero, while young and vulnerable or in the violent manner that seems to have occurred with the stories above.

There is no one thing that has caused all these people to act so aggressively towards innocent citizens. However, one thing is certain. We all need to find a way to prevent these instances from continuing to occur.