Arms race Quote by Michael Grant
““Sam had a DVD in his hand. He said, "Yesterday I sent Edilio to the power plant to get two things. First, a cache of automatic weapons from the guardhouse. "Machine guns?" "Yeah. Not just for us to have, but to make sure the other side doesn't get them." "Now we have an arms race," Astrid said. Her tone seemed to irritate Sam. "You want me to leave them for Caine?" "I wasn't criticizing, just... you know. Ninth graders with machine guns; it's hard to make that a happy story." Sam relented. He even grinned. "Yeah. The phrase 'ninth graders with machine guns' isn't exactly followed by 'have a nice day'.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Shadow Children, 1998, Young Adult Fiction
Youth confronting violent conflict confronts moral ambiguity and the absurdity of war.
In simple terms: Kids with guns face grim reality.
Key Takeaway
Question the ethics of involving children in violence.
Themes
war
youth
morality
absurdity
conflict
Mood
somber
critical
Type
narrative
social.
When to use this quote
- fiction
- young adult literature
- social commentary
Key Concepts
ethical dilemmas
loss of innocence
militarization of minors
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do storytellers have when depicting child soldiers?
- How can narratives balance realism and sensitivity?
A Different Perspective
The scenario may sensationalize serious issues for drama.
![“Nothing surprised me more, and meant more to me, than seeing an entire class of ninth graders mob Congressman [John] Lewis at a book festival.” quote by Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/904/andrew-aydin-21143_book_nothing-surprised-me-more-and-meant-more_887021.jpg)
![“Rio : – What the hell is the point of worrying about it? I don’t see Geer or Pang or Stick moping. Jen : – No, […]. They’re all busy being men. […] We’re not men, Rio. We don’t have to be men.” quote by Michael Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a4a/michael-grant-1391_being-a-woman_rio-what-the-hell-is-the-point-of-worryi_205159.jpg)
