In “ How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: A Remembrance” by Kiese Laymon, the overall message is that everyone has two options in life to say “yes” to it or to say “no”. You either embrace life, ignore criticism, ignore the people that put you down and anything that might be holding you back or say no, eventually you’ll die. Laymon describes saying “no” in life as slowly killing yourself. Kiese Laymon uses his own experience in the article when he was close to death by himself, “ I lie in a bathtub of cold water, still sweating and singing love songs to myself. I put the gun to my head and cock it.” (pg 26) later on he goes on to say “ I drop my gun to my chest. Im so sad and I can’t really see a way out of what I’m feeling but
