In the seventh grade, I heard of a book called "Give a Boy a Gun" by Todd Strasser. A few girls in my class were talking about it and they said it was a good book. Since I love reading, I decided to check it out. I wasn't sure what it was about because they didn't go into detail, but I never excepted it to shock me to my core and change my life.
It didn't happen the first time I read it. The first time I read it, I was angry because what teenager isn't? I was angry at 'popular' kids and jocks for either being mean me to me or outright ignoring me. Then, I was in seventh grade.
Now I am going into ninth grade. I just reread this book and have a whole new outlook on everything. I am glad I read this book before High School because it will make it easier.
This is a fictional story that is all too real. It is about two boys- Gary and Brendan- who bring guns to a school dance and open fire after being constantly bullied and ridiculed.
At first, I understood why they did that, and it scared me. The book was haunting. I was shocked.
The book was in an interview form, showing quotes from people at the dance and also including facts on school shootings and gun violence on almost every page. They had three sides; the teachers, the 'outcasts'; and the 'jocks'.
I'll state again, at first, I was on the outcasts' side because I am one. Then rereading it and taking a closer look at it, I realized, there weren't really sides. We're all people no matter what cliques we're in.
The teachers explained that it wasn't their jobs to raise their students. The outcasts blamed the jocks for picking on them. The jocks explained that they believed that the outcasts were trying to belittle all the hard work they put in their sports to represent their school and the outcasts tried to take away their school spirit.
The teacher part made me roll my eyes. I understood the outcasts' part. The jocks' part, well, that was what stuck with me. They are going through things too. If you're raining on their parade they'll do the same to you.
This book really changed my opinion on 'jocks'. The outcasts don't want to be stereotyped but they go around thinking that all jocks are mean and stupid. Don't get me wrong, I don't justify any type of bullying here. An eye for an eye is just how life seems to work.
This made me realize that there are no 'cliques', just stereotyped people sticking together. If everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, not just popular kids or outcast, stop stereotyping everyone else, thing would be easier.
After rereading this life altering book, I have decided to be nicer to everyone. I used to be the one hating on the popular kids, but now I know better. Never judge someone else or think you really know someone just by rumors or outward appearances. You have no idea what's going on in their head. So send a stranger a friendly smile. I'm not saying go out and make new friends, but like wolves in a pack, we are all humans and need to stick together. Why would you intentionally harm anyone? Are you sick or cruel, or both? All I'm saying is, if someone looks down, pick them up.
I truly believe that every one should read "Give a Boy a Gun" because whether you're an outcast, a jock, something in between, for guns, or against gun, this book will prove every preconception you have about any other type of person wrong.
This book has many valid points of both sides of many different types of coins. It will change you.
WEBSITES TO VISIT:
www.vpc.org
www.millionmanmarch.com
www.pledge.org
www.paxusa.org
www.gunfree.org
www.handguncontrol.org
These websites are all dedicated to stopping senseless gun violence.
If you don't believe it needs to be stopped, read "Give a Boy a Gun". If this review wasn't enough to pick up this book, here's a few terrifying facts that will find in this book:
'More American children are killed by firearms than by all natural causes combined'
'...The number of rampage shooting each year has remained somewhat consistent. However, the number of victims had increases dramatically. The reason? Semiautomatic weapons...'
'Nationwide in 1996 more than six thousand students were expelled for bringing guns to school.'
'In 1996 not a single person was killed on an American airline. More than a dozen were killed by a gun in school.'
'In 1996, 2,866 children and teenagers were murdered with guns, 1,309 committed suicide with guns, and 468 died in unintentional shootings. A total of 4,643 young people were killed by firearms,'
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