Giant

Tolerance and intolerance, some people think that it is all just a big joke and others take it very seriously. So how should you take it? Have you ever felt it? After I have read the past two stories and read a review over it. I have come to find out that it is a very big and serious part in our life and that most almost all teenagers with different looks and perspectives get picked on every day. From grade school on up every kid or someone that is different gets picked on. Some get picked on so bad that it is just a matter of time before they snap and guess what? All of those nasty remarks and jokes that a person has said comes right back at them except with a different type of pain, a bullet, or a knife, and sometimes pipe bombs. Have you ever thought to yourself that maybe everything in life that you say can come back and affect you and other kids? If you have not then I suggest you take a time out in your life and think long and hard about it.

It is becoming such an outrage in school systems that teachers and principals are coming up with there own set of rules. These new set of rules are called the, "Zero - Tolerance Policy." This means that if you bring a little squirt gun to school you get big punishment. Even if you say something to a kid that you think doesn't hurt them. All that they have to do is go to the office or teacher and tell them! The schools are not taking any funny crap. So every one think before you act!

"Hey, Skinny Bones, pump it girl. Ain't you got no energy today?" Gail, the biggest of the black girls who had the other end of the rope yelled, "Didn't you eat your rice and beans and pork chops for breakfast today?" (Cofer)(156). These kind of rude comments is what a little girl named Elena had to deal with in her every day life. When she went to school she could not get away from crude racial comments being said about how she looks and people even had the nerves to make fun of her culture and ethnic background. As she goes through school she begins talking to a boy named Eugene. Eugene was a very smart kid that no one would hang out with because he was a "nerd." As Elena and his relationship grew they became pretty good friends. So one day Eugene asked for Elena to come over so that they could study for a big test. So when she knocked on their door the mother came out in a very rude manner and said, "Listen. Honey. Eugene doesn't want to study with you. He is a smart boy. Doesn't need help. You understand me. I am truly sorry if he told you could come over. He cannot study with you. It's noting personal. You understand? We won't be in this place much longer, no need for him to get close to people-it'll just make it harder for him later. Run back home now."(Colfer)(158). Elena was very very upset about this happening and I think that she probably felt very surprised that a parent would feel the same way about her as the kids in school do.

If you were a parent or even a kid how could you have the nerve and meanness to look right into a little girls eyes and say those words. I could not imagine the pain the Elena was feeling. For the first time I think that Elena was going to have her first real friend. But as always through out her life there was someone either on the street, at school, or in a doorway stopping her for doing that. Maybe Eugene's mother should have put her self in Elena's position for once. I personally could not envision a world with out someone to talk to when I was upset or if I needed help on my homework. So my suggestion to the person who is reading this paper and to whom else is. Before you talk about a person or make fun of them for something that they can't help why don't you put yourself in there position. I am not going to lie to you I have made fun of another person before and after words I feel very bad and after reading a learning all the things that can happen from this I am going to change myself and it will be for a better!

Iggy and Loretta says, "You better come inside," he says looking up at Freak. "You and Frankenstein." This was what there Max and Kevin