Conflict in three short texts

Sinn Fein The short movie I watched was about the protesting of the prisoners not having any rights. They were on a hunger strike because they wanted to be political prisoners so that they would be treated better. The prisoners were beaten, tortured and not treated well at all. Seven of the prisoners who went on the hunger strike ended up dying. Others gave up the hunger strike after many days. Outside, family, friends and others from the public who supported their rights were marching with signs and protesting loudly. The police were involved and there was a lot of violence and damage to property, cars and people from both sides. This went on for a long time. This was very sad to see. It reminded me of the two short stories I have read earlier because the link between the stories I have seen and read were similar as death was a big part of  the stories and so was the violence and conflict between people. I would not like to be living in areas where there is so much conflict. I do not like what gangs do to people. This also reminds me of the film that I watched earlier called "Billy Ellliott". Once again it showed the conflict, this time between the mines with the union members striking for better conditions and protesting in the streets. There were police involved as well. It must have been a miserable time for everyone involved in the strike even those who were caught up in the action just because they lived in the area. I am glad that I don't have to live like that.

On the sidewalk, bleeding... The short story I have just read is about gangs. It is about a boy who is stabbed and left lying in the alley waiting for help and finally realising that he is going to die. All he can think about to begin with is the girl he loves and wants to marry and have kids with. A drunk who does not realise he is stabbed leaves him where he finds him and another young guy will not help because he does not want to get involved with the gangs.  In the end the boy, Andy, realises he is going to die and wonders if his girlfriend Laura is missing him. Andy is left in the alley, stabbed, bleeding badly and with the rain pouring down on top of him. He did not want to be known as a 'Royal' (his gang name), but as Andy because that is who he is  that is important, not the jacket that labels him. He is only sixteen and learns that getting stabbed because of the label on the jacket is a waste of his life.  A girl comes to find him to help him, but it is too late and she finds a cop to come and help. It was sad to know that the policeman wrote 'Royal' as the name and did not acknowledge his name as was it was given to him by the girl. Andy was only known by his gang, not as a person. I think that if he lived he would have changed. It is a sad waste of life. I also think his girlfriend would have felt the same way. She now has to live without him and live with the way he died.

The Sniper I read the short story 'The Sniper' and I found it a sad story. It was about a guy who was on a rooftop shooting at another a guy that was on another rooftop across the road. He notices an old lady in the street, but realised that she was an informer because she stopped and talked to the occupants in the car.  This car was heavily shielded and ready for battle. It was a war between two groups and I sense there was a lot of violence taking place in the streets. The Sniper was clever and tried to out smart the guy across the street by placing his cap on the top of his rifle and acting like he was shot and dying when the bullet flew towards him. He then shot the guy on the other rooftop and watched him fall to the ground. He wanted to know who he had shot, if he knew the person or not.  He gets down from the rooftop carefully as there are still shots being fired all around him and slowly makes his way over the street to where the body is lying. He turns the body over and finds that he is looking into his brothers face. I feel really disgusted that war takes the lives of good people and family members. I was really sad because this was a brother shooting a brother.  I don't think that he would have shot his brother if he had known it was him on the rooftop, but who knows... It's just a sad, sad story.  D. Boyer. November 2011