Answers to the 2 Questions

1. Upon reading the profile story on The Stalking of Kristin, I learned that when you do an article like this, it takes a lot of time and research to put into it. The details, the events leading up to before and after the incident, the people involved all contributed to a massive undertaking that this man had to do. I learned that the justice system in this particular story was corrupt and unjustifiable, and it only takes good journalism to uncover that truth. Though this was told in a feature story, I believe a lot of it had to do with facts and research about the Massachusetts criminal justice system.

Another feature story I learned from was Ron Suskind's article Against All Odds. Here I learned that a writer's ability to take some dust and whip it into a glowing light is by far the best tool a writer can use. Here we have a boy who nobody knows, who constantly gets beat up for being smart, and we feel for him. We also learn and recognize the cruelty that humans have to put up with everyday. It makes us feel more obligated to console the young boy and cheer him on with his dreams and ambitions than to destroy his hopes of ever getting out of there. Lastly we learn that even the most difficult of situations can be overcome by hopes and persistence. This story I ultimately learned the Hero complex a writer puts in the story.

Lastly, a final feature story I learned from was the final story at the end of our last chapter we read in our book. It was a story about a couple that was savagely burned from an unexpected volcano eruption. I learned here that the writer must include good descriptions to make the scene come alive, have a detailed explanation on the background, and also make each added detail or person flow nicely with the others in the story. I somewhat felt the writer spent a little too much time on redundant details about the couple's past, but still felt all was included nicely to paint the picture for this tragic accident. I felt death stories must be handled with great observation and graceful etiquette upon talking to the family.

2. After reading 'The Stalking of Kristin' I immediately felt a heavily disturbed sensation because of how the law or justice system in this country could allow something like this to happen. I felt very angry and disgusted at this court system the writer was writing about. I applaud him for ostracizing this system, and I especially feel for the amount of time, energy, and tears he was probably putting into this, and it deserves immediate gratification. I also felt sadness and an overwhelming sense of unbelievability that was involved upon reading the facts of this story. The restraining orders, the courses he got, the unreliability and incompetence of the offices and being let go early from his 59-day sentence was all a complete monstrosity, and one that should put the justice system behind the bars they make. I was appalled that this happened, and I wish it didn't, because here was a girl who had her whole life ahead of her - and they took it away on account of negligence and ignorance.