Sen. Chris Murphy: ‘We Are in Charge of Trying to Set Rules and Laws and Norms that Give People a Better Shot at Happiness’

Reporter What drew a ░░░░░░░░ governor of Utah to ░░░░░░░░ Democratic Senator from Connecticut ░░░░░░░░ I see how children ░░░░░░░░ our entire society is ░░░░░░░░ from each other and ░░░░░░░░ reached out to Governor ░░░░░░░░ about a year ago ░░░░░░░░ just understand the steps ░░░░░░░░ had been taking in ░░░░░░░░ to try to build ░░░░░░░░ more connected community to ░░░░░░░░ to figure out why ░░░░░░░░ is a place with ░░░░░░░░ high social capital with ░░░░░░░░ who feel maybe a ░░░░░░░░ bit more connected into ░░░░░░░░ community than in other ░░░░░░░░ of the country to ░░░░░░░░ if there was work ░░░░░░░░ we could do together ░░░░░░░░ Why should lawmakers governors ░░░░░░░░ officials put happiness first ░░░░░░░░ foremost when they re ░░░░░░░░ about policy MURPHY Well ░░░░░░░░ s right there in ░░░░░░░░ Declaration of Independence that ░░░░░░░░ beings Americans have a ░░░░░░░░ to pursue happiness Now ░░░░░░░░ can t deliver the ░░░░░░░░ mile of happiness right ░░░░░░░░ s up to everybody ░░░░░░░░ to figure out but ░░░░░░░░ think we are in ░░░░░░░░ of trying to set ░░░░░░░░ and laws and norms ░░░░░░░░ give people a better ░░░░░░░░ at happiness If you ░░░░░░░░ beyond the fights over ░░░░░░░░ or immigration or guns ░░░░░░░░ you might be able ░░░░░░░░ find a lot more ░░░░░░░░ agreement between the right ░░░░░░░░ the left on the ░░░░░░░░ that are actually most ░░░░░░░░ relevant to how people ░░░░░░░░ happiness connection connection into ░░░░░░░░ into family into the ░░░░░░░░ good COX Look I ░░░░░░░░ I agree that it ░░░░░░░░ not government s job ░░░░░░░░ make people happy But ░░░░░░░░ is government s job ░░░░░░░░ protect those rights that ░░░░░░░░ that we ve been ░░░░░░░░ from on high life ░░░░░░░░ and the pursuit of ░░░░░░░░ And sometimes government actually ░░░░░░░░ make people less happy ░░░░░░░░ can make it more ░░░░░░░░ for them to pursue ░░░░░░░░ Reporter What motivated you ░░░░░░░░ put legislation in place ░░░░░░░░ basically force social media ░░░░░░░░ to bar children who ░░░░░░░░ under the age of ░░░░░░░░ from accessing their app ░░░░░░░░ We now have several ░░░░░░░░ of schools that have ░░░░░░░░ cell phones and saw ░░░░░░░░ in in problems bullying ░░░░░░░░ harm anxiety raising test ░░░░░░░░ all all of the ░░░░░░░░ and data is showing ░░░░░░░░ that this is a ░░░░░░░░ cause of of that ░░░░░░░░ and so this is ░░░░░░░░ area where where government ░░░░░░░░ think can appropriately intervene ░░░░░░░░ Why do you think ░░░░░░░░ plays such a big ░░░░░░░░ in people who engage ░░░░░░░░ harm to others in ░░░░░░░░ harm in gun violence ░░░░░░░░ Listen for anyone to ░░░░░░░░ out an act of ░░░░░░░░ level violence you have ░░░░░░░░ be fundamentally disconnected from ░░░░░░░░ community And we are ░░░░░░░░ seeing more and more ░░░░░░░░ people who feel like ░░░░░░░░ don t belong like ░░░░░░░░ are outsiders And some ░░░░░░░░ those then choose to ░░░░░░░░ that frustration that anxiety ░░░░░░░░ their own hands and ░░░░░░░░ in these absolutely terrible ░░░░░░░░ despicable acts of violence ░░░░░░░░ Can you share your ░░░░░░░░ quickly here with self ░░░░░░░░ with loneliness yourselves COX ░░░░░░░░ my parents got divorced ░░░░░░░░ I was when I ░░░░░░░░ 10 And that was ░░░░░░░░ really hard and dark ░░░░░░░░ for me I went ░░░░░░░░ a period of time ░░░░░░░░ I thought the world ░░░░░░░░ be a better place ░░░░░░░░ I wasn t in ░░░░░░░░ And I m I ░░░░░░░░ so grateful that I ░░░░░░░░ institutions and community and ░░░░░░░░ around me that that ░░░░░░░░ about me in that ░░░░░░░░ time And so so ░░░░░░░░ s something that that ░░░░░░░░ felt very personally that ░░░░░░░░ kind of driven me ░░░░░░░░ this work from from ░░░░░░░░ very beginning MURPHY There ░░░░░░░░ no doubt that as ░░░░░░░░ parent I have often ░░░░░░░░ very alone right And ░░░░░░░░ every parent out there ░░░░░░░░ had a real sense ░░░░░░░░ aloneness in a world ░░░░░░░░ is changing very fast ░░░░░░░░ kids that are dealing ░░░░░░░░ challenges whether it be ░░░░░░░░ risk of violence at ░░░░░░░░ whether it be social ░░░░░░░░ whether it be bullying ░░░░░░░░ that are things very ░░░░░░░░ to us having not ░░░░░░░░ to have gone through ░░░░░░░░