Because of our snow day today, I was able to finish the book that some fellow teachers and I decided to read as a book club pick. Columbine by Dave Cullen. One teacher had recommended it because it revealed the truth behind what happened surrounding that tragedy. The media portrayed a lot of myths and inflated a lot of errors. The Cassie Bernall martyrdom was proven false. This was a fascinating read. Cullen was a reporter from day one (April 20, 1999), and stuck with the case for 10 years gathering research for what would become Columbine. The victims' stories were fascinating. I couldn't stop reading and usually read past when I should have been going to sleep. It cast light on an event that cast darkness on many people's (including my own) high school memories. It forever changed how schools operate, and still has effects on my life today - in how I handle students and am required to perform as a job duty (practicing lockdown drills). Sad. The ultimate sadness that reading this book left with me is that the killers got what they wanted. Not just victims' lives. But to change the world. They did. I'm not usually a consumer of non-fiction literature, but because this subject hits so close to home (I can even recall exactly where I was when I heard about the shooting - in my own school cafeteria, getting ready for musical rehearsal) that I was deeply entrenched in the story. I look forward to more non-fiction in the future!
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