My Reflections

The following 5 blogs are written about the book SHE SAID YES by Misty Bernall who lost a daughter in the Columbine High School Massacre in 1999.
The book SHE SAID YES touched me deeply. I thought about how impossible it is to deal with the death of someone who is so close to your heart. Many people think they know but they have never experienced their child being murdered. As I read the book I thought about how everyone thinks that they live in a safe area but in reality you never know what could happen and you should not take a life for granted. The book really made me aware of the people around me and made me think about how lucky I am that I have never experienced such a horrible death like Cassie's family experienced. SHE SAID YES is a remarkable story of a average teenager who was killed in a terrible way.

How the family dealt with Cassie's death

Like anyone would be, Cassie's family was mad at the killers. They wished that their daughter and sibling didn't have to leave the earth at such a young age yet they knew that nothing could bring her back. Cassie's mother, Misty Bernall, wrote the book, "She said Yes" based on Cassie's life, reflections from friends and family and her view on her daughter's death.
Throughout the story, the reader learns about the family's struggle to make sense of Cassie's death. Even with a lot of thought, it is impossible to completely understand the point of a death. Misty, the mother, shares her thoughts about where Cassie is now and how she was probably laughing at her family sometimes. Dealing with a death in the family is a hard thing but Misty Bernall expressed many of her feelings through the book "She said Yes."

Last act of Bravery

Before Cassie was shot the gunmen asked her a question, "Do you believe in g-d." Cassie replied "yes" before being shot in the head. Some witnesses say that they never asked her that question while others say that they heard the gunmen say something about g-d and Cassie reply "yes". The last word out of her mouth was a strong act of bravery. She stood up for what she believed in even if that cost her her life. She may have been shot anyway but she defended her belief. It was extremely brave of Cassie to say "yes."
Cassie was not the only individual who performed an act of bravery on that day. A teacher stood in the way of one of the boys to stop him from shooting more students. The teacher lost his life but he saved others. Although Cassie did not save herself or anyone, she stood up for what she believed in as her final act of bravery.

Religious impact on Cassie

Throughout Cassie's life, Christianity made a big impact on her personality. When she was experiencing many problems with school and friends, her church was a place where she was comfortable. When Cassie was going through a difficult time it was a church retreat that changed her into a better person from the sad and angry one she was before. A lot of Cassie's friends were ones that she made through her religion. For a few years of her life, Cassie attended a Catholic school which shaped her personality. Even in Cassie's final few minutes of her life she expressed her belief in G-d. Cassie's story shows how much Religion can have an impact on a person's life.

Cassie Burnall

Cassie Burnall was a girl who was loved by many. She was born into a loving family of Misty and Brad Burnall and later her brother Chris. Since the day Cassie was born she was her Daddy's girl. Cassie had many friends who really helped determine who Cassie was. She was friendly, social, mostly happy and like most teenagers, rebellious and not always fitting in. Cassie was always eager to contribute to any discussion and was not afraid to express her beliefs including right before her death. Cassie made an impact on all who knew her and even people she never knew.

Columbine School Massacre

The unfortunate event of the Columbine school shooting took place on April 20, 1999. Two male student gunmen, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed 12 people, wounded 23 people and then killed themselves. The two boys set very powerful bombs to blow up the cafeteria but luckily they did not work or else many others would die. Among the people to die was Cassie Bernall. Cassie was hiding under a table in the library when she was shot. The Columbine shooting was a very tragic event that made people more aware of how safe their local high school is.

Would I make the movie "She said yes" in black and white or Color?

She said Yes is the story of a teenager who was shot in the tragic Columbine Shooting of 1999. I would make the movie in black and white. There are many reasons for this. One reason is because most films of a real life event are in black and white. I feel like if the shooting were shown in color it may be too graphic and not feel as real. When I see a black and white film I feel like the event is behind, therefore She said Yes would be in black and white because I would want to put the event behind me but still have that little memory. She said Yes would be a good movie to share and warn people about school shootings but I would create the movie in black and white.