Parkland by Dave Cullen (#106 in 2019)
"I flew down the first weekend, but not to depict the carnage or the grief. What drew me was the group of extraordinary kids. I wanted to cover their response. There are strains of sadness woven into this story, but this is not an account of grief. These kids chose a story of hope."
I read Columbine by Dave Cullen last year. I actually waited until we were on summer break before I read it because I thought the topic would be too difficult to read during the school year, and I was right. It was heavy and sad and terrifying. It was, however, an incredibly moving and informative account of the Columbine shooting, dispelling many of the myths that were perpetuated by the media. Cullen’s other book poked holes in the way the Columbine tragedy was handled (or mishandled, for that matter), but Parkland is a very different book. Parkland is a much more hopeful story. It does tell a painful recounting of the school shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018, but that retelling is fairly brief and sadness doesn’t become the focus of the book. Instead, Cullen focuses on the group of phenomenal teenagers who took the future into their own hands and began a movement called March for Our Lives.
The March for Our Lives movement, which is still ongoing, seeks to push back against the NRA’s agenda and asks our congressional leaders to make responsible laws and changes in gun legislation. Please reread that sentence... these students seek “responsible changes;” they do not seek to ban guns. I know this is a hot debate in America, so I don’t intend to have a gun law debate in the comments section. I enjoyed this read because it focused on a group of determined students who found a cause that was important to them and actively made a plan to make a change. As a teacher, and politics aside, it tugged at my heartstrings to see young people so dedicated to the future of our nation.
At school, we perform lockdown drills every month. My students are always floored when I tell them that my first ever lockdown was 9/11/2001. Our current generation is growing up in a world where violence is expected, and it's disheartening to realize that they know a society I never had to worry about. Cullen’s book brings that unfortunate reality to light and forces adults to see our present and future as something that needs to change if we hope to best serve the children of this generation. Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“‘March for Our Lives does not belong to us anymore,’ Jackie said. It belongs to every kid in America who is ready to heed the call.”
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