Chance & Story Essay Example for Free

Chance Story Essay In third grade through sixth, I had a friend named Chance. We were best friends and often spent long days and nights over at each other’s house. Whenever I stayed at Chance’s, the house was filled with noise from the two of us and his six brothers and sisters. Chance’s family was Mormon, a religion that my family knew nothing about except the name. He once explained why his family was so large, but it made little sense to me at that time. During the summer between sixth and seventh grade Chance’s family moved away to Utah. I’ve learned a bit more about Mormons since but this assignment offered me an opportunity to learn more about the religion of my friend and how Mormons feel about how they are perceived in the United States, especially concerning the law and discrimination. Chance’s family was only one of many Mormons in my town and surrounding areas. Patty is a good friend of mine who attends the Mormon church in town since she was a baby, so through her I was able to find three people to interview. Her parents were not available, but she introduced me to a Mormon missionary Brian, a neighbor Barbara, and Chris, her mother’s home- teacher. Brian is twenty years old and is originally from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is currently nearing the end of his Mormon mission, which is a semi-required two year work for Mormon young men to an area chosen by the head church in Salt Lake City, Utah. He had just graduated high school when he began the training for the mission. His mission is to go door to door in the neighborhoods to share his beliefs and teach anyone interested about the basics of the church. Barbara is also not originally from this area. She was born and raised in Provo, Utah, which is where the Mormon university Brigham Young is located. She moved here ten years ago when her husband’s job transferred. She is forty-three years old, has five children between six and fifteen, has a college degree from BYU in marketing but doesn’t currently work outside her home, and has been married for twenty-three years. Chris is from this area and has lived here all of his fifty-six years. He is an elder at the church, has four children and sixteen grandchildren so far, works as a machine repairer, and volunteers for the church as a home-teacher in which he regularly visits church members for further teaching about the church. Having such different subjects to interview proved very interesting. Each shared that they have dealt with some sort of discrimination in their lifetimes as Mormons. They all indicated that the problems are rarely very serious and never violent, but are more subtle. Barbara notices the negative attitude towards Mormons most of the three because she lived for so long in Utah, which is heavily populated with Mormons, especially where she lived in Provo. She said that when the family moved, she was surprised to find that there are people who still believe Mormons are the many-wives religion. One woman at her children’s school even asked once if Barbara was one of several wives of her husband. Neither Brian nor Chris said that they have had this problem. Brian said his problem is more centered on his mission work. He has often heard people say ‘there go the two-by-twos. ’ The missionaries work in pairs, so he said the term stuck. For the most part, he says people are friendly towards him and often comment that Mormons are the nicest people they know, but very few choose to actually discuss the church’s teachings. Instead Brian and Chris both said that most people are interested in if Mormons are a cult that traps unsuspecting victims. Barbara also said this is something people have asked in round-about ways such as through her kids. All three said that it is often frustrating the poor view that they feel the majority of Americans have toward the Mormon Church. Barbara and Chris’s children mostly have other Mormon friends, and those that are not Mormon are seldom allowed to attend activities organized for the Mormon youth such as dances, outings, or sport activities if they are to be held at the church. They say that no one has said directly why the kids can’t attend, but all three believe that it is related to the negative view of the church. They all also indicated that any issues that arise are always social in nature, that they have never had a problem with employers or the law regarding discrimination. Interestingly, as I interviewed each person, I found myself also curious about the ‘oddities’ of the Mormon church. When Barbara mentioned the many-wives idea, I wanted to know more about it. So I was doing exactly what the three had said most people do: expressing curiosity about the strangeness instead of the good qualities of the church or its teachings. However, I did learn quite a bit about the basic structure of the church, why it is based in Utah, and how Mormons view the world and the after-life. Since the problems that Mormons experience are almost always social, it is a matter of slowly changing the public’s view of the church. Chris believes that the commercials the church has put on television have gone a long way in changing perceptions about the church. Brian said that attitudes are better in Canada towards the church most likely because it started in the USA, where it experienced a lot of discrimination in its beginnings. So it is a matter of time and continued sharing for the Mormon Church to be recognized as a legitimate religion and not as a cult.

The death penalty :: essays research papers fc

The Death Penalty There are many crimes that are being committed through out America, burglary, car theft, rape, pick pocketing, and murder. There are many different forms of â€Å"murder†, manslaughter (killing someone without it being previously thought out); vehicular manslaughter (hitting someone with your car and killing them) and other forms of accidental deaths may be thought of in the same sense of â€Å"murder†. The death penalty applies to the murders that are committed violently (murders that are done on purpose). The way to prevent some of these violent murders is to use the death penalty more. Some people say that the death penalty is cruel, unjust and it is in moral. I feel that the death penalty, if it was in forced, would be a deterrent for crime. There are many strengths and weaknesses surrounding the death penalty. There also have been many arguments in favor of the death penalty. In the state of Pennsylvania, a person that commits first degree murder with eighteen aggravating circumstances is able to be sentenced to death. The lethal injection is the means that is used when someone is sentenced to death. There is no real age specified to how old somebody can be before they are sentenced to death. As of July 1, 2001 there was 246 people on death row, 155 (63%) were African American, 75 (30%) were white, 15 (6%) were Latina and 2 (8%) were Asian. A July 2001 Harris Poll founded about four of ten American (42%) felt that capital punishment deters people from committing murders. On the other hand about five of ten American (52%) believed capital punishment does not have much effect. In 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated nearly six of ten (59%) thought capital punishment was a deterrent, compared to just over three in ten (34%) who thought it wasn’t. (Pg 74 The Death Penalty in America) Some of the strengths of the death penalty are that it does not allow violent murders back onto the streets, it deters crimes from would be murders, and it gives comfort to families of murdered victims. By using capital punishment on violent murders it prevents them from reentering society and having a chance to commit a violent act again. If capital punishment was handed down as a punishment then other criminals would think again about committing murder. The death penalty also gives comfort to the families of murdered victim’s by not allowing them (criminals) back onto the streets free to commit another murder.

On Seeing England for the First Time Essay

In this essay titled, On Seeing England for the First Time Jamaica Kincaid subtly argues that England’s vain dominating presence, produced from the common admiration for England, played a negative role in her life. Kincaid develops this claim of England by battling the reality of England versus her childhood idea of England. Since this is the beginning of her work not only is the purpose to entice the reader but to also inform them of the â€Å"reality† of England which conquered her lifestyle and inhibited her natural growing culture. Kincaid writes in a serious, somber tone for people who also feel dominated by England or another culture. Questions for Discussion: 1. What is ironic about the author’s words, â€Å"Seeing England for the First Time† is that in reality neither is she really looking at England nor is this her first encounter with England. The author is only looking at a map of England, not the people or lively culture. Also, the author descr ibes throughout the paragraphs the huge role of England in her life. Including the presence at her family breakfast table and most importantly the relationship between her father and his English hat. 2. In paragraph four Kincaid’s words, â€Å"I had long ago been conquered† refers to the huge and dominating role of England in her life. Where as the people in her life constantly regard England Jensen 2 as the highest of the high and the source of all final judgment in her life. The large presence and highly regarded culture of another country in her own land hinders Kincaid in a dominating way, making her feel unimportant and small. 3. The authors talks largely about the British influence in her life, especially in regard to marketable items. In paragraph two Kincaid talks about her family breakfast and the many foods which come from England. The most basic parts of her, her shoes, her clothes, and her father’s clothes all contain the words, â€Å"Made in England.† Questions on Rhetoric and Style: 1. The use of parallelism in Kincaid’s excerpt is prominent and helps argue her point of the beautiful versus ugly, or more specifically, the reality versus ideal part of Europe. For example, â€Å"England was a special jewel all right, and only special people got to wear it.† This lets the reader see England as a special place, but then author takes it back as a conceited statement. 2. The mutton simile produces an ungraceful image of England. However, when she retracts that same simile by saying, â€Å"It could not really look like anything so familiar†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this makes the reader question as to why she would compare England to something as brute and ungraceful as an animal leg and then retract it saying that mutton is too familiar. This produces a confusing image of a country that looks better than it really is. 3. The use of listing can be seen in paragraph two when talking about her breakfast and clothes. In this listing she talks without passion or a personal opinion which makes the reader stop and grabs their attention. The use of listing, since there is no passion, also gives it a somber tone and sort of power of knowledge.

A Brief Note On The Country Music Association Awards

What I Already Knew/What I Wanted to Know This November, for the first time ever, I watched the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs). Actually, let s be completely honest, I watched 6 glorious minutes and 17 seconds of the CMAs: Beyonce preforming Daddy Lessons with The Dixie Chicks. Once my favorite performer exited the stage I promptly clicked my Roku TV off and opened up my Snapchat app to post my feelings about Daddy Lessons being one of the few country songs I’ve listened to that I actually enjoy. My sister goes on about how I’m the ultimate relativist and that I’d find a way to turn Leopold II into a political hero. Obviously she’s being hyperbolic when she makes a statement like that, but I do pride myself on having the ability to see treasure in presumed trash. However, what made this research so much fun was that I discovered Country music is layered and so far from trash that finding the treasure in it was as easy as it was enjoyable. One thing I knew going in was that although a large amount of people do not enjoy Country music, a vast amount of people do; and the people who love it, really love it. The lovers of this type of music typically reside on the lower half of the country and tend to have a strong affinity for boots and cowboy hats. Although I didn’t know the specifics of the history of Country music before I began researching, I did know the history of the genre was old and rich. An example of Country Music’s age and wealth can be found in itsShow MoreRelatedDizzy Gillespie Essay1317 Words   |  6 PagesDizzy Gillespie deservedly ranks amongst the most influential and innovative jazz musicians of all times. Every note played with his trumpet captivated a legion of devout followers from all different age demographics and cultural backgrounds. Only Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong can tread the waters of his talent and his ever-growing legend, which was propelled by his revolutionary st yle. 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