"The End of A New Beginning" By: Vanessa Angeles

      On the night of February 26, 2012 a crime that would lead to one of the most controversial movements in the U.S was committed. Trayvon Benjamin Martin was shot and killed ,with no weapons with him, in Sanford, Florida, by George Michael Zimmerman, who was on neighborhood watch. George Michael Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder of the death of 17 year old Trayvon Benjamin Martin. In the police file report Zimmerman stated that everything was self defense and gave details as to why. He said that he shot Trayvon because “Trayvon knocked him down with a punch to the nose, repeatedly slammed his head on the ground, and tried to take his gun.” After 16 hours of a long careful consideration, over the course of two days, on July 13, 2013,  Zimmerman’s verdict declared that he was innocent. This was the end of the new beginning of one of the most well known movements worldwide.

         About a year later on July 13, 2013 three activists, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, decided to take action. They came up with the Black Lives Matter movement. This social movement became international around the U.S. One of the BLM founders, Patrisse Cullors, explained what change they want to see, in an interview she states, “We’re trying to change the world… developing a new vision for what this generation of black  leaders can look like.” Their purpose wasn’t to only end police brutality and systematic racism but to give basic human rights back to the african american community. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter became a social trend. Although many people had different reactions towards the organization. The phrase “All Lives Matter” became popular. Some say it was in a way a response to the Black Lives Matter movement along with the “Blue Lives Matter” which was created by supporters of the police. Until this day there are still protest created by the Black Lives Matter organization.

Nonfiction Blog: "Who Killed My Daughter"

     From the nonfiction book that I have been reading Who Killed My Daughter? By Lois Duncan it talks about the experience that the author went through when her daughter was shot and killed. So far in the book I've read that Kaitlyn Arquette, the daughter of Lois, was an 18 year old who lived with her boyfriend, Dung Nguyen. She was shot two times in her car while on her way home. She later on died at the hospital. The police told Kait’s family that it was a “random” shooting. This left Lois and her family determined to find out who killed her and why. As the story progresses you start to notice that a lot of things point to Dung which makes him a main suspect.

        A passage that I found interesting in the book Who Killed My Daughter? was right at the end when Lois talks about who her and her family think were the ones to blame for Kait’s death. In the passage it says,  “We believe Kate was killed because she was getting ready to expose illegal activities involving her boyfriend and his companions. It might have been that she was shot by the Vietnamese; it might have been that they hired someone else to shoot her. But the one thing we are absolutely sure of in our own minds is that this was not a random shooting-  Kait was assassinated.” Kait’s family believes that she was killed because she was about to reveal some illegal crimes about her boyfriend and his accomplices. The Vietnamese were probably the ones that shot her before Kait could say anything. One thing the family is absolutely sure about is that she wasn't part of a “random” shooting, in other words Kait was assassinated. This part of the text stuck out to me the most because now I see the outcome of what happens when we associate ourselves with people who aren't a good influence. Now we see that even though Kait was just trying to do the right thing about speaking up about the crimes her boyfriend was committing SHE was the one who paid the consequences.

          A lesson that I've learned while reading this book was definitely that we as teenagers should speak to our parents if we have friends or a boyfriend/girlfriend who we believe that aren't on the right path. While reading this book I've realized how much a parent can suffer with the loss of one of their kids. If Kait were to talk to her mom, dad or one of her siblings she might of not passed away. The worst part was that Kait and her family were the ones who got hurt at the end even though they had nothing to do with those crimes being committed. Who Killed My Daughter? has really been like a model for me of what could be the outcome if I ever were to come across a situation like Kait and her boyfriend. This is definitely a life lesson that tells me to be careful with the type of people I'm involved with.

                                                         



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