War in Vietnam Now a War in Housing

I recently watched Jacob's Ladder and Full Metal Jacket, two horrifying yet incredibly powerful movies depicting the Vietnam War. Before viewing these films, I hadn't truly understood the pain, the fear, the utter terror that soldiers faced during the war. Although only films, both Jacob's Ladder and Full Metal Jacket allow viewers to get a glimpse into the horrendous experiences real-life soldiers endured in Vietnam. Sadly, now I have a better understanding as to why over 150,000 Vietnam veterans have committed suicide since the end of the war. To this day, many veterans struggle to make normal lives for themselves, with over 50,000 remaining homeless. We need to make a strong effort as a society to decrease that number. 

Fortunately, $4 billion has been put into an initiative to end Veteran homelessness by the Obama administration. In the past 4 years, about 51,000 veterans have gained access to housing. However, approximately 50,000 remain homeless, and lowering this homeless rate may not be very simple. Many veterans often choose to live homeless lifestyles, desiring to stay as far away from people as possible. We all need to make a great attempt to change their outlooks on homes in order to provide them with the lifestyles they truly deserve. Veterans desperately need therapy and care before they will be completely willing to gain new housing. They have witnessed too many atrocities throughout their lives to still be suffering without proper care and housing. No one should prefer to live without a home.

13 Years Have Passed, Her Determination Never Waned

This past Thursday, people all across the nation remembered the 2,977 victims who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks performed by Al Qaeda on September 11th, 2001. All across social media, people expressed their grief in response to the 13th anniversary of this tragedy. Yet, as I scrolled through Facebook this weekend, I surprisingly came across a beautiful story about a woman who views 9/11 as a time of hope each year. The story truly touched my heart and restored my trust in humanity.

For the past 13 years, Elizabeth Stringer Keefe has held onto a wedding photograph (on the left) she received from a friend who discovered the image among the debris at Ground Zero. As September 11th rolls around each year, Stringer Keefe posts the photograph across all of her social media accounts in hopes of finding the owner of the picture. Fred Mahe used to have this photo of him at his friends' wedding tacked up along his office walls on the 77th floor of the World Trade Center. He never expected to view the image again. However, due to Elizabeth Stringer Keefe's persistence and hope each year, Mahe finally caught a glimpse of the image online. It will be returned to him very shortly.

I happen to agree with Mahe, who claimed that Stringer Keefe represented "the best of humanity." Although 9/11 tends to be regarded as a time of tragedy, Stringer Keefe has viewed it as an opportunity for the past 13 years. She has used social media as a tool instead of a weapon. Stringer Keefe never knew Fred Mahe personally, yet she went out of her way to return his photograph. If we all learned how to act a little more like Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, our world would definitely be a happier place.

Book to Movie to Profit

A few days ago, my friend and I decided to watch If I Stay, a beloved novel by Gayle Forman transformed into film. As we sat quietly in the theaters awaiting the opening scene of the movie, a trailer for The Maze Runner flashed onto the screen. Another amazing book was being turned into a movie? My mind exploded with excitement, enthusiasm, and curiosity. I couldn’t wait for September 19^th, The Maze Runner’s release date.

As the trailer came to an end, I began to think closely about how many book-to-movie films had been released this year. In just the past five months, I had watched Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Giver, all film adaptions of popular books. Yet, over two dozen more of these books-turned-movies will be coming to theaters between September and November. One of the most highly anticipated motion pictures of 2014, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, will arrive on November 21^st. After all, Hunger Games: Catching Fire earned $864,565,663 in the box office last year. Many other literature-based thrillers similar to The Hunger Games hope to achieve comparable numbers in the box office.

 Will this book-to-movie craze continue on for years to come? Since our society has become so reliant on technology, I hope that we don't only resort to watching movie adaptations of incredible pieces of literature. Much of the magic we spot on screen originates within the books themselves. Nevertheless, I wonder whether these novel-based motion pictures will affect authors' writing choices. In the end, maybe it is all about getting onto the big screen.