Life and Death by Lottery

Journal 6: Life and Death by Lottery

Upon reading the ending of this story, all I can say is wow. I did not see that ending coming though after reading about the boys gathering the stones I should have expected something like that. I believe they do a lottery as a way of control, because surely those people can move out of the community if they really wanted to right? Nevertheless, they choose to stay and participate in the lottery. Population control is a major thing in some places and when they first started talking about it, I thought it was a actual money Lottery. But after noticing how nervous everyone kept acting and the way they waited for every single person in the village to be in attendance well I kind of figured something was going on.

I think it is insane how they involve the kids, in stoning and in the Lottery and that it was the woman's son who first threw a stone at her. They saw it as a game, which is not a place I would ever want my kids to grow up in. They are teaching them that it is ok to take a life, and it is not. I could not imagine waiting there with my young kids wondering if they or I were going to be picked, I do not know how they did it.

No one even knew why the lottery was being done; all they know is that it has always been and that they had to participate in it no matter what. I would have taken my kids and left, there would be no way I would watch my kids get stoned to death or have them do the same. However I know in other places of the world things are done that neither I nor other people agree is the right thing, but if they have been doing it for so long show am I to tell them otherwise right?