Today is Monday, Memorial Day, a day to remember fallen American soldiers. Coincidentally, I read the news about another death: the 37-year-old American actor Johnny Wactor, which occurred on Saturday morning.
Wactor, a "General Hospital" actor, was shot in downtown LA, California, while trying to stop three men from stealing the catalytic converter from his car. The three men fled, leaving Wactor to die in a local hospital.
The LA Times reports, "‘General Hospital’ actor Johnny Wactor’s slaying during L.A. theft sparks shock, anger, mourning." Sadly, killings like this occur daily in the U.S., but this incident gained attention because he was a well-liked actor.
Every time I read about a shooting crime like this, I think of Will Durant's definition of civilization:
"Civilization is social order promoting cultural creation. Four elements constitute it: economic provision, political organization, moral tradition, and the pursuit of knowledge and the arts."
Durant emphasizes the role of social order in creating prosperity in a society. The opposite of order is chaos, where extreme individual freedom, crime, violence, and the rule of the mighty prevail.
Throughout Chinese history, prosperities and cultural flourishing have always emerged in peaceful eras. Chinese people value peace above many things, which is why there is a saying, 宁为太平犬, 不为乱世人 (níng wéi tàipíng quǎn bù wéi luànshì rén) — It is better to be a dog in a peaceful time than a person in a war time.
On this Memorial Day, as we honor the sacrifices of those who were supposed to fight for peace and order, let us also reflect on the importance of maintaining social order against senseless crimes in our communities. The tragic death of Johnny Wactor is a stark reminder of the consequences of disorder in a society and the urgent need to uphold PEACE and the basic principles of human civilization.