I have just come from seeing a wonderful movie, Freedom Writers. I think anyone from Denver will be especially moved if they see it, because of the New Year's Day murder of young Denver Bronco football player Darrent Williams. Darrent was a guy who used his athletic skills and personal determination to become an American success story. But he was gunned down by people who probably grew up in similar circumstances, but chose another route to "success".
But, what kind of a country are we living in? Why should kids have to grow up dodging bullets? Why should kids have to be tempted to join gangs in order to find a sense of family? Why can't someone show kids that a way to get ahead is to exercise their minds, not just their bodies? The movie does a great job showing the odds that many kids must overcome in today's America. The movie is based on a true story, and a book with the same name was published in 1999. It includes the journals the students wrote.
1 comment:
I'd like to see that movie...although we usually wait for Netflix to have it.
It sounds like something I'd love to show at my school, at least to the teachers.
-Mrs. Who
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