Don’t Shoot

It’s funny how hollywood can depict what’s in your brain in a way that people can understand it and at the same time be entertained by it. One of my favorite underrated movies is 16 blocks. It was way more heart warming than I could have imagined it to be. There is a moral taught in this movie that bad people can change. I love it.

In 16 blocks Bruce Willis is also a washed up and drunk cop. Some dirty cops tried to kill a prisoner who was going to testify against them and the entire movie is about Bruce Willis protecting Mos Def, the prisoner, from all these cops, and they don’t even know each other. Yet, Bruce helps him out apparently for no reason. They allude in the movie that Bruce normally does the bad thing in situations. Mos Def is curious about it and asked him “why do they keep saying you’re not doing what you normally do?” the story goes on and Mos Def looks him in the eyes and says “people can change.” Bruce replies “not people like me.” I feel like that world surrounds many days. full of people that think they can never change as if they’ve done too much.
the saga continues… Bruce has gotten Mos Def a way out of harms way as Bruce stays behind with all guns pointed at a bus with Bruce on it. Bruce is about to die. Mos Def ‘ve ran free, but he turned around and knowing that he was the one they wanted to kill he stood in harms way, he stood in front all guns pointed at his new friend and says “stop! stop! don’t shoot! don’t shoot! don’t shoot.” he gets back on the bus and looks at Bruce and reminds him of Barry White who once did bad things too and he changed. “he changed, he changed” said Mos Def. I want that to be me. I want to be someone who would take bullets for people who need changing the most. I want to be somebody who stands there and says “don’t shoot don’t shoot” because I believe that the person behind me can change. the very people trying to shoot Bruce on the bus were the very same people that always reminded him of every bad thing he used to do. “don’t shoot, don’t shoot” rings in my ears. I hear friends talk about “nerds” of my school and now I think “don’t shoot don’t shoot.” I hear guys talk about the girls who are “sluts” and i think “don’t shoot don’t shoot.” the scene reminded of one I’ve read about before… a story you might recognize as well… “he who has no sin, let him cast the first stone.” this day, don’t shoot.