When I initially read the first few paragraphs of “Thanks for Not Killing My Son”, I was confused about Rita Schindler’s intent in writing her letter and her relation to the victim. At first I thought that Schindler was a reporter, as the first few paragraphs are written like a news article, with the exception of the perpetrators being referred to in the second person. As the letter continued, however, it became clear that Schindler was the victim’s mother, especially after her writing shifted to the first person. Through her sarcastic tone and her imagery, not only did I feel angry at the perpetrators for the brutal and random nature of the attack, but I also felt that I could feel Schindler’s pain dealing with her son’s injuries. I was also