This entire novel was incredibly captivating and interesting, mainly due to the way Picoult chose to write it. As the story was narrated through many different points of view, I was able to hear what everyone had to say about each situation. On the back of the book, there was a quote from a critic that really stood out to me and changed my mindset towards school violence. People magazine wrote, "A brilliantly told tale, one that dares to remind us that someone loved the killer too." And it's true; in this novel was see how Peter's parents loved him even after he committed his tragic crimes. Even Peter's friend Josie was willing to sacrifice her life by admitting that she was the one who first shot Matt, her boyfriend. She wanted the truth to be told so that Peter was not blamed for a death that she was a part of causing. Even though Peter was willing to keep her secret, Josie cared too much for Peter to let that happen.
Nineteen Minutes teaches us that every killer is someone's son. Even though Peter felt bullied and unloved throughout his life, there actually were people he could turn to. Even though his parents had trouble showing their love for Peter, deep down they cared deeply for him. After the school shooting tradgedy, Peter's parents may have had trouble loving the man he became, but they still loved the man he used to be. By choosing to remember and honor his past, his parents' love shined throughh.
When Peter's mom Lacy was struggling with how to express her love to her son after he had been put on trial, her friend Alex reminded her of the sweet and special boy Peter used to be. She told Lacy, "He used to like the peanut butter on the top half of the bread and the marshmallow fluff on the bottom. And he could find anything I'd dropped-an earring, a contact lens-before it got lost permanently" (386). This was a powerful moment for Lacy, and a moving one for me as well. In this moment, it is clear that although one may feel uncared about, there is always someone who loves them. Even though Peter had just killed ten innocent people, his mother still loved him and did all she could to protect him. It sends out an important message to those who are being bullied; you are never alone.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Final Project Day 3:
In addition to reading Nineteen Minutes, I decided to do some more research to see what facts I could get. I wanted to mainly focus on the connection between school violence and bullying. In order to help people recognize how serious the consequences are of bullying, they need to see the facts. The first source I found stated directly that after 40 school shootings that took place between 1974 and 2001, the United States Secret Service had discovered that "approximately two-thirds of the shooters had been victims of bullying." One example would be the students from Columbine who were often picked on and bullied for being different. It is clear that bullying can cause students to feel unsafe, and in turn, causes them to take drastic actions.
There were many other interesting statistics throughout the article, making shocking and upsetting. One fact stated, "a conservative estimate, is that on any given day, at least 5% to 10% of children aged 7-16 are victims or offenders." That means out of 100 kids, every day, ten students may be picking on others and hurting them both physically and mentally. If that isn't a major red flag, I don't know what is. These facts show that bullying is an issue that must be taken very seriously and students, parents, and school officials should be educated about the issue. The strong connection between school violence and bullying is a major concern for schools.
source: http://issues.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/913445?cid=70&terms=bullying
There were many other interesting statistics throughout the article, making shocking and upsetting. One fact stated, "a conservative estimate, is that on any given day, at least 5% to 10% of children aged 7-16 are victims or offenders." That means out of 100 kids, every day, ten students may be picking on others and hurting them both physically and mentally. If that isn't a major red flag, I don't know what is. These facts show that bullying is an issue that must be taken very seriously and students, parents, and school officials should be educated about the issue. The strong connection between school violence and bullying is a major concern for schools.
source: http://issues.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/913445?cid=70&terms=bullying
Nineteen Minutes Entry 2: "Fighting? Or fighting back?"
In Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult offers the perspectives of many characters. We are able to see Peter's feelings, as well as the others involved both directly and indirectly with the shooting. One would expect to view Peter as the antagonist. After all, he went into his school and killed ten innocent students. But were they all truly innocent? By allowing us to learn about Peter's background as well as the other students, we are presented with all the facts, and deciding who is truly responsible for the violent attacks is now up to the readers.
Picoult demonstrates in her novel that there are two sides to everything. In this story, we begin to learn that often, the shooter is also the victim. As a reader, it was difficult for me to realize that I was sympathizing with the killer. But after hearing his story about how he was bullied both physically and mentally from elementary school all the way until high school, I felt just as bad for him as I did for the people hurt in the shooting. Picoult brings up the question, who has the right to judge someone else? Peter was threatened by others just like the students were by him the day of the shooting. He tells Josie, "everyone's saying I ruined their lives, but no one seemed to care when my life was the one being ruined" (134). Throughout his life, the bullying took a large toll on Peter and he felt unwanted and unsafe in his surroundings. Although he had no right to kill the people who were hurting him, after hearing his side of the story, one could also begin to understand why Peter went through with his violent actions.
This novel begins to shed light on why school shootings take place. Bullying is almost always one of the main causes. In the trial, Peter's lawyer explained to the jury the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is the main reason that Peter was led to believe that he needed to kill his bullies in order to protect himself. Peter, although he is a fictional character, helps us recognize how kids who are bullied feel. They don't feel safe in their schools since they are surrounded by students who threaten them and hurt them on a daily basis. I'm not saying that I think that students who commit the terrible act of a school shooting should not be blamed. Of course they should. But at the same time, so should the bullies that have led them to that place.
Picoult demonstrates in her novel that there are two sides to everything. In this story, we begin to learn that often, the shooter is also the victim. As a reader, it was difficult for me to realize that I was sympathizing with the killer. But after hearing his story about how he was bullied both physically and mentally from elementary school all the way until high school, I felt just as bad for him as I did for the people hurt in the shooting. Picoult brings up the question, who has the right to judge someone else? Peter was threatened by others just like the students were by him the day of the shooting. He tells Josie, "everyone's saying I ruined their lives, but no one seemed to care when my life was the one being ruined" (134). Throughout his life, the bullying took a large toll on Peter and he felt unwanted and unsafe in his surroundings. Although he had no right to kill the people who were hurting him, after hearing his side of the story, one could also begin to understand why Peter went through with his violent actions.
This novel begins to shed light on why school shootings take place. Bullying is almost always one of the main causes. In the trial, Peter's lawyer explained to the jury the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is the main reason that Peter was led to believe that he needed to kill his bullies in order to protect himself. Peter, although he is a fictional character, helps us recognize how kids who are bullied feel. They don't feel safe in their schools since they are surrounded by students who threaten them and hurt them on a daily basis. I'm not saying that I think that students who commit the terrible act of a school shooting should not be blamed. Of course they should. But at the same time, so should the bullies that have led them to that place.
Nineteen Minutes Entry 1: "Who has the right to judge someone else?"
For this semester, I decided to read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I have always been interested in the issue of bullying, because I believe that it is a issue that can easily be prevented. It isn't something like world poverty or pollution that could take years and years to figure out how to fix. Bullying could be stopped today, this very minute, as long as people are educated on how serious the effects of bullying are. Reading this novel gave me a much better sense of how those who are bullied feel, and also it touched on the idea of why people bully. It allowed me to get inside the head of someone who had been bullied their whole life, but I also was able to see the other side--those who committed the vicious acts of bullying.
One question that was brought up in Nineteen Minutes was who is to blame for the school shooting that took place? Should we blame Peter, the shooter, for causing this tragedy? What about his parents for not paying more attention to their clearly depressed son? Or the popular kids who bullied Peter every day of his life? The administration and school officials for not being more involved in what was taking place in their school? One scene of the novel that remains clear in my mind was a flashback to when Peter was in elementary school. Even at that age he was being bullied. However, when his mother went into the school to talk with the teacher about making sure things like this were not to happen again, the teacher responded by saying, "I'm showing Peter how to stand up for himself. If someone cuts him in the lunch line, or if he's teased, to say something in return instead of just accepting it" (72). It's shocking to me that teachers believe the solution to prevent bullying is to have those being bullied to act in the same way as the bullies. It is wrong to tell students that they can only be protected if they fight back. It is 100% the school's responsibility to handle the bullying that takes place on school campus and they need to handle it by getting involved and punishing the kids, not telling those being bullied to fight back.
It's hard for me to sympathize with Peter--after all, in this novel, he was a killer. But at the same time, I put a large part of the blame on others in his life. Parents have the responsibility to be involved with their children. If I had guns in my room and was constantly depressed, I would only hope that my parents would be able to recognize my change in behavior. I think that parents need to be educated just as much as students do about this issue. Obviously the parents of those being bullied need to make sure that they are getting the help and protection they need, so they do not result to such drastic measures like Peter did. At the same time, the parents of the students who do the bullying should be able to teach their children that no one has the right to hurt or judge someone else.
Nineteen Minutes helps to demonstrate that when school shootings take place, maybe people should stop pointing their finger just at the shooter, and should take a good look at themselves. Clearly Peter had some mental issues, but at the same time, someone caused him to feel the need to walk into his school and kill the people he spent seven hours with every day. Others besides Peter needed to take the blame for the tragedy that took place in this novel. He might have destroyed their lives, but they also destroyed his.
One question that was brought up in Nineteen Minutes was who is to blame for the school shooting that took place? Should we blame Peter, the shooter, for causing this tragedy? What about his parents for not paying more attention to their clearly depressed son? Or the popular kids who bullied Peter every day of his life? The administration and school officials for not being more involved in what was taking place in their school? One scene of the novel that remains clear in my mind was a flashback to when Peter was in elementary school. Even at that age he was being bullied. However, when his mother went into the school to talk with the teacher about making sure things like this were not to happen again, the teacher responded by saying, "I'm showing Peter how to stand up for himself. If someone cuts him in the lunch line, or if he's teased, to say something in return instead of just accepting it" (72). It's shocking to me that teachers believe the solution to prevent bullying is to have those being bullied to act in the same way as the bullies. It is wrong to tell students that they can only be protected if they fight back. It is 100% the school's responsibility to handle the bullying that takes place on school campus and they need to handle it by getting involved and punishing the kids, not telling those being bullied to fight back.
It's hard for me to sympathize with Peter--after all, in this novel, he was a killer. But at the same time, I put a large part of the blame on others in his life. Parents have the responsibility to be involved with their children. If I had guns in my room and was constantly depressed, I would only hope that my parents would be able to recognize my change in behavior. I think that parents need to be educated just as much as students do about this issue. Obviously the parents of those being bullied need to make sure that they are getting the help and protection they need, so they do not result to such drastic measures like Peter did. At the same time, the parents of the students who do the bullying should be able to teach their children that no one has the right to hurt or judge someone else.
Nineteen Minutes helps to demonstrate that when school shootings take place, maybe people should stop pointing their finger just at the shooter, and should take a good look at themselves. Clearly Peter had some mental issues, but at the same time, someone caused him to feel the need to walk into his school and kill the people he spent seven hours with every day. Others besides Peter needed to take the blame for the tragedy that took place in this novel. He might have destroyed their lives, but they also destroyed his.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Final Project Days 1 & 2
I have decided for my final project that I am going to focus on the topic of bullying. Along with that, I am planning on comparing physical bullying to cyberbullying, as well as making the connections and studying how school shootings and teen suicide corresponds to bullied teenagers. I plan to study about why people get bullied, but more importantly, why the people who do the bullying do what they do. I also want to research the straight-foward facts and statistics about bullying, because I believe that will give other people a sense about how serious this issue is.
To help me with this project I have been reading the novel Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It is a fictional story about a boy who was constantly bullied, and as a result, he entered his school and shot and killed multiple kids. Although the story is fictional, it seems incredibly realistic and truly shows how teenager feels these days and why they choose to act the way they do. I have also watched Elephant, which relates well with this topic. I also hope to study a lot about the Columbine school shooting, because it will be a crucial element in my research.
My main goal from researching this issue is to make myself, as well as others, more educated about this issue. Bullying is very serious, but if people are not educated about what is happening at their schools, then it can't be stopped. Hopefully when presented with the facts, people will recognize the level of importance this issue has at our school, and hopefully, this will inspire people to make a change in how they treat other individuals.
To help me with this project I have been reading the novel Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It is a fictional story about a boy who was constantly bullied, and as a result, he entered his school and shot and killed multiple kids. Although the story is fictional, it seems incredibly realistic and truly shows how teenager feels these days and why they choose to act the way they do. I have also watched Elephant, which relates well with this topic. I also hope to study a lot about the Columbine school shooting, because it will be a crucial element in my research.
My main goal from researching this issue is to make myself, as well as others, more educated about this issue. Bullying is very serious, but if people are not educated about what is happening at their schools, then it can't be stopped. Hopefully when presented with the facts, people will recognize the level of importance this issue has at our school, and hopefully, this will inspire people to make a change in how they treat other individuals.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Mock Trial Response
In the trial of United States v. David Jones, I think that it could go either way. The facts support both sides, so it is hard to determine whether or not David Jones was guilty or not. I found it hard to believe that Susan Williams was raped, especially since she had been dating David for awhile and it took her a few days to even recognize that she was raped. However, at the same time, abuse happens all the time between couples so it is very possible that he could have raped her, even though they were dating at the time. "No" means no, and if Susan made it clear that she didn't want to have sex, then David should have been found guilty. I think that it would have been easier to have found David Jones guilty of this crime if he had stronger witnesses. The detective was pretty useless, since there was very little evidence besides the ripped shirt that Susan had been forced into having sex. In addition, the rape counselor did not seem to have his facts straight. It was hard to believe him, since a lot of the things he said contradicted one another. Given the facts and testimonies of the witnesses in this case, I found most of the evidence to point towards a non-guilty verdict. However, I also believe that this type of rape is fully possible. Men always need to be aware of respecting other women and not forcing them into doing anything they do not want, especially if it is one's girlfriend.
In the second case regarding sexual harassment, I believe that all the facts strongly point to the fact that Elise Roberts was sexually harassed. She had to deal with inappropriate comments and actions that had sexual undertones directed towards her by her coworker. Most importantly, even when she asked him to stop and complained to her bosses, no one did anything about it. The harassment continued to come, and it even caused Elise to feel uncomfortable coming to work. I think that it would have been better to have moved Kevin Murphey to another office, rather than punishing Elise and moving her. Elise was the victim in this case, and she needed to be protected by having him be punished for his inappropriate actions. Also, Elise made it clear from the start that she did not condone this type of behavior. Therefore, Kevin Murphey was clearly wrong for continuing with his comments and actions. Sexual harassment in a working environment is a very serious issue, and Murphey and the firm should have been found guilty for letting it continue on for so long.
In cases regarding both sexual harassment, as well as sexual assault, people must be aware that both are very serious crimes. People must be aware of others' feelings and respect them. I think that some people find sexual harassment to be sometimes funny or unimportant. While watching the trial with Elise Roberts, many boys in class would laugh at many of the comments that Kevin Murphey made towards Elise. Even though this was obviously a fake trial, I think that many people have that same mindset towards real life sexual harassment. What people, especially students, must realize is that sexual harassment is a crime and can seriously hurt a person mentally and emotionally. I don't think that there are any problems similar to these cases at DHS. Students here seem to be aware of others' feelings. I find our school to have a very safe environment, and I trust that if there was ever an incident regarding sexual harassment, the deans would get involved. Most importantly, we can prevent sexual assult and harassment by just being aware of other peoples' boundaries. We must respect others, just as we want to be treated, and I believe that this can help to put an end to these serious crimes.
In the second case regarding sexual harassment, I believe that all the facts strongly point to the fact that Elise Roberts was sexually harassed. She had to deal with inappropriate comments and actions that had sexual undertones directed towards her by her coworker. Most importantly, even when she asked him to stop and complained to her bosses, no one did anything about it. The harassment continued to come, and it even caused Elise to feel uncomfortable coming to work. I think that it would have been better to have moved Kevin Murphey to another office, rather than punishing Elise and moving her. Elise was the victim in this case, and she needed to be protected by having him be punished for his inappropriate actions. Also, Elise made it clear from the start that she did not condone this type of behavior. Therefore, Kevin Murphey was clearly wrong for continuing with his comments and actions. Sexual harassment in a working environment is a very serious issue, and Murphey and the firm should have been found guilty for letting it continue on for so long.
In cases regarding both sexual harassment, as well as sexual assault, people must be aware that both are very serious crimes. People must be aware of others' feelings and respect them. I think that some people find sexual harassment to be sometimes funny or unimportant. While watching the trial with Elise Roberts, many boys in class would laugh at many of the comments that Kevin Murphey made towards Elise. Even though this was obviously a fake trial, I think that many people have that same mindset towards real life sexual harassment. What people, especially students, must realize is that sexual harassment is a crime and can seriously hurt a person mentally and emotionally. I don't think that there are any problems similar to these cases at DHS. Students here seem to be aware of others' feelings. I find our school to have a very safe environment, and I trust that if there was ever an incident regarding sexual harassment, the deans would get involved. Most importantly, we can prevent sexual assult and harassment by just being aware of other peoples' boundaries. We must respect others, just as we want to be treated, and I believe that this can help to put an end to these serious crimes.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
What's Going On in the World? Egypt's Current Status.
There has been a lot of news surrounding Egypt lately. Starting near the end of January, thousands of protesters took the streets of Egypt in order to protest poverty, unemployment, government corruption and more. They were protesting against President Hosni Mubarak, and the control of the government. There was also the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the country's largest opposition movement. They asked for Mubarak to step down and allow for a more transitional government to take over. Over time, the protests began to grow out of hand and required Egypt's armed forces to get involved. The government went so far to even block all internet connections in the country. Protesters and journalists needed to find a way to get out information about what was happening in Egypt, since the country was preventing them from doing so. In February after many days of protests, Mubarak finally made the decision to step down, ending his 30 year reign. Since his resignation, the Egyptian military has taken control and many believe that Egypt is making a democratic transition.
After watching a few videos on the protesters' reactions once President Mubarak stepped down, it is evident that the people of Egypt felt very strongly about changing the way the government ran. The most interesting article I read about Egypt was that this whole revolution began with the internet. People knew for the past years under Mubarak's rule that their country was going downhill, but fear kept them from doing anything about it. However, with the internet, people were able to see that they weren't the only ones who wanted freedom. They also used sites like Facebook and Twitter to organize protests. The government slowly began to lose its power, as the people of Egypt used the internet to ban together.
I admire all of these people who are standing up for themselves and fighting for the freedom that they want. I think that almost everyone in the world hopes that Egypt will receive democracy. Right now, since Egypt's military is running the country, it is up to them to allow a democracy to take place. Despite the fact that Egypt still has to fight and work more towards getting what they want, I think that people can learn a lot from Egypt's revolution. It shows that people do have the power, and when we want something, we must fight for it. It's amazing that thousands of people living in Egypt organized protests all on their own and worked together to make the dictator step down. Seeing that this fight for freedom was successful, it shows other countries that they have the power to stand up for what they believe in, as well.
After watching a few videos on the protesters' reactions once President Mubarak stepped down, it is evident that the people of Egypt felt very strongly about changing the way the government ran. The most interesting article I read about Egypt was that this whole revolution began with the internet. People knew for the past years under Mubarak's rule that their country was going downhill, but fear kept them from doing anything about it. However, with the internet, people were able to see that they weren't the only ones who wanted freedom. They also used sites like Facebook and Twitter to organize protests. The government slowly began to lose its power, as the people of Egypt used the internet to ban together.
I admire all of these people who are standing up for themselves and fighting for the freedom that they want. I think that almost everyone in the world hopes that Egypt will receive democracy. Right now, since Egypt's military is running the country, it is up to them to allow a democracy to take place. Despite the fact that Egypt still has to fight and work more towards getting what they want, I think that people can learn a lot from Egypt's revolution. It shows that people do have the power, and when we want something, we must fight for it. It's amazing that thousands of people living in Egypt organized protests all on their own and worked together to make the dictator step down. Seeing that this fight for freedom was successful, it shows other countries that they have the power to stand up for what they believe in, as well.
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