Text to Society: First They Killed My Father

The memoir I am reading is called, First They Killed My Father, by: Loung Ung.

It is about Loung's experiences during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge is the communist party in Cambodia. They took over Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, and this is known as the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regime - (Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge).

According to History.com, "...about 1.5 million Cambodians out of a total population of 7 to 8 million died of starvation, execution, disease or overwork."

This picture is from the monument in the village of Choeung Ek, and it is a memorial for the victims.
I actually have gone to this memorial, and it leaves you stunned and speechless because you are surrounded with skulls, and photos of victims are covering the walls. You can also walk around the fields and see the bones of victims still in the ground.

One central idea/ realization from this memoir is the fact that experiences can impact you and change the way you think and see the world. In the book, Loung experiences many different changes. She grew up in a middle class family, and then all of a sudden, one day she has to evacuate the city with her family. Her experience of starvation, homelessness, and many other extreme losses changed Loung completely from the start and to the end of the book.

Many events can change the way we think and see the world. Events such as the death of a loved one/close friend, near death experiences (ex: car accident or surviving a natural disaster), homelessness, rape, and abuse are only some examples of many events that can impact us.

One example is the 9/11 attack. Thousands of people were affected by this tragic event. Not only were the the victims affected, but also their friends and family members. 

If you want to read more, here is a link to the website. 

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/08/29/120875/from-grief-resilience-for-victims.html

This site has a collection of stories about how 9/11 impacted them and their friends/family. One story is about Christie Coombs. Her husband, Jeffrey Coombs died aboard the American Airlines Flight 11. This impacted the Coombs family tremendously. 

Because of this, Christie started the Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation. 

She felt that she "needed to put all that negative energy from 9/11 into something positive." The money goes to other 9/11 victims' families facing financial predicaments. 

Coombs said that the tragedy, "changed my appreciation for what other people go through on a daily basis."

This is only one example of how events and experiences can influence the way we think/see the world.