Under the Banner of Heaven

Jon Krakauer has written many books about extremes of physical adventure. More recently, however, he ventured into the world of extreme religious belief. Specifically, Mormon fundamentalism and polygamy where he revealed aspects of this hushed religion and culture. Under the Banner of Heaven is a book that not only discusses the background of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints’ extreme side—Mormon fundamentalism, but also discusses their devotion to practicing polygamy. A polygamous marriage is when one person has more than one spouse. Although illegal, these marriages take place within United States borders. Under the Banner of Heaven not only discusses polygamy, but also discusses the rules, the people, and the societal concerns the polygamous fundamentalist’s pose.

Throughout reading this book, it was obvious to me that the polygamous culture is illegal for a reason. Krakauer helped me come to that realization by exposing the questionable aspects of polygamy and fundamentalists. For example, he starts off by talking about two brothers, Dan and Ron Lafferty. They are polygamous fundamentalists who were arrested for the brutal murders of their infant niece and sister in law. After being arrested and questioned, their reasoning for doing so was because “it was God’s will.” Everything fundamentalists do is based on what they think is God’s will. This is because it is said that the prophets (living men who lead polygamist sects) talk directly to God. Because of that belief, it has led to the brainwashing of the followers.

By brainwashing their followers, the followers never question anything and do what they are told. That goes for the 14-year-old girl who gets told that she must marry the 56-year-old man and become his 27th wife because the prophet said so and that is what God wants. That same 14-year-old must also not question or fight when her now 56-year-old husband has his “night” with her and gets her pregnant. Despite that being morally wrong, it is also illegal in the United States. The legal age to marry in most states, including the ones polygamists call home is 18. The legal age of consent is 16 (“State by State Marriage). The way around this law is to have parent consent. However, all laws and parental consent goes out the window if an older man marries a young girl who is not his first wife. What I mean by that is, in the united states one man can only legally be married to one woman. Therefore, all other marriages are nonexistent to the law. They are strictly “spiritual” marriages. With that being said, all marriages and pregnancies that involve young teens and men over 18-years-old are considered assault. Basically, not only do these arrangements make me question mental stability, it also makes me question people’s morals.

With such large families, there must be large expenses. That is where another shocking aspect of this life comes into play. To reiterate, a polygamist man’s first marriage is his only legal marriage. Therefore, the rest of his “wives”, however many there are, are considered single mothers by the state. This means that those women are able to collect government aid. Utah for example is one of the United States’ largest home to polygamous families. The minimum dollar amount single mothers can receive is $462 monthly if they have a job, or $568 weekly if they are unemployed (“Financial Help for Single Mothers”). They also receive free health insurance and food assistance. So, say that same man with 27 wives had all 26 of his spiritual wives, most unemployed by the way, collecting state aid, they would be bringing in $14,768 for the household just in one week. They literally support themselves and do better than most Americans by cheating the system. In one instance, a polygamist man, John Green bragged about supporting his ten wives off state aid. He publicly claimed to have received a little over $600,000 over the years, in addition to food stamps and free health insurance. After his public escapade boasting about his income, he was tried and arrested. He is just one example of many who cheat the system, however not all get caught doing so.

The reason these large families are still able to exist in America is because the families themselves. The menn engross themselves into societal positions making it next to impossible to bust these groups and charge certain members appropriately for the laws they break. These men take up careers as judges, sheriffs, police officers, superintendents of schools, and even mayors. By immersing themselves so fully into society it is hardly possible to charge these men and ultimately to put a stop to polygamy.

Through these examples alone Krakauer proves his point. He expresses that polygamy and Mormon fundamentalism is wrong and that these practices need to be stopped. The reasons are obvious. They are expressed in the stories above and as well as the countless other stories that he explains throughout the book. Overall, while some of these people may genuinely like their lives, they are brainwashed to believe, they abuse the government and tax payer money, and break all types of child protection and consent laws. Despite the appalling stories told, Krakauer’s tone throughout the whole book remains strictly formal. At times his style of writing and use of imagery bring out the single emotion he wants you to feel. From sadness and sympathy for the little girls whose innocence is taken from them too soon, to the anger and repulsion towards the ones abusing the law and American people, Krakauer made you feel it all. Aside from the emotional aspect of his writing, the legitimacy of it also made Under the Banner of Heaven a good read and an accurate characterization of polygamy. His interviews with escapees of the culture and also of ones still in it bring the realness and accuracy to the book.

With that being said, polygamous culture relates to culture as a whole on another level. Culture is a group of people who share commonalities that construct individual social identities of those and primarily influence behaviors and decisions. Polygamist people share the same beliefs, values, and practices. They all engage in plural marriage, have a devotion to God and their prophets, abandon technology all together, and even agree to never dance or play sports. All of these aspects are okay on the surface. Though, when I think of a culture, I think of togetherness, empowerment, and fairness. However now when I think of polygamist culture those words do not come to mind. Thus, although it is, I personally do not consider polygamy a legitimate culture. Its not the plural marriage part that brings the objection out of me; it is the way they get around the law and think that they are an exception to the rules just because they have God as their excuse.

Considering my opinions about polygamy are strong, it is logical that there will be opposing point of views. Some might argue that polygamy is a genuine culture and that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing because they believe in it—which to some degree is true. By overlooking the logistics and illegality of polygamy and the FLDS then yes, I would have to agree it fits my idea of a culture. If you took out the cheating, forcing, and brainwashing and just had a group of men who were each married to multiple women who willingly wanted to come together in a secluded marriage all following a certain faith then okay. However, that is not the case. With plural marriage and the FLDS there will always be all the negative and faulty aspects along with it.

Overall, Under the Banner of Heaven opened my eyes to a different part of the world that I did not know much about. It posed as a source to describe polygamy as whole to me. Throughout reading I was forced to think about the culture in relation to my own culture but also culture altogether. While I enjoyed the book and Krakauer’s writing, I detest polygamy and all that it stands for. As for relation to culture, despite polygamy fitting the dictionary definition of it, I do not think it is a valid culture on its own.

 

American Culture

In the Cultural Artifact PowerPoint, all three of the images provoke strong emotion. This emotion stems from the meaning of the flag and the pride people share for the United States. While the first two images provoke different emotions from the third image, it is obvious that the American flag is a staple artifact used when describing the United States.

Given that the first two images show perseverance and bravery, I think that those images show that our society is supportive and brave as well. Meaning that we back up our troops and law enforcement and are proud of them. By the American flag’s being a staple piece in both of those pictures, in regard to American culture, I believe that it is obvious that the American flag represents American culture. To me, the flag stands for freedom. In these pictures, by the soldiers and fire fighters sticking the flag in the ground they are saying “we won’t give up and will continue to protect our free states.”

In respect to American values, I think before describing how those images reflect the values those values need to be established. Given that America is basically one big melting pot of immigrants from different descents, I think equality among those many cultures is high on the list of American values. Secondly, independence is another value strongly supported by American culture. Many people emigrate here primarily because of the independence and the opportunities that that freedom brings about. Connecting those values to the first two images it stems back to what the flag and the people posing it represent—those values. America will always be the home of the brave and land of the free because of the people who make it their soul job to protect that. The flag will always be a representation of those people who strive to keep it waving.

The third picture in the PowerPoint shows how corporations control the United States more than the government does. The sold sign with a gun represents how the government is basically forced to listen to those corporations. This represents American society and American culture because it shows we have become so wrapped up in those corporations that represent America. This image represents the normalities of American culture. In the Culture article by Neolon and Giroux, they state that “we should note that popular culture has a lot of influence over our subjectivity.” Ultimately, the popular corporations in the United States influence society. For example, football is one of the sports that dominates America and Nike is a main sponsor of the NFL. Because football is so popular, and because they chose Nike to sponsor them, it boosts Nike’s popularity by default.

The third image was used to stir emotion. By altering the look of the flag– patriotic, die hard Americans will be easily offended.  Given that there are so many rules about how to handle and respect the flag, this is a direct violation against those guidelines. With that being said, I do find it disrespectful to use the flag in that manner, however, by distorting the flag that way it was a powerful way to critique the social norms. Therefore, in this case I think it’s justified just because of how well the artists’ point was made.

Overall, all three pictures stimulate an emotional response that make the viewers think about American culture.  While two out of the three bring about emotions of pride and triumph, the third brings up ones of realization and truth while instigating negative emotions as well. All in all, the three images shed light onto true American culture, just from different perspectives.

Effects of Drugs Syllabus

The number one cause of death for people under 50 in America is drug related. Whether it be overdose or death by a user, the drug death epidemic is increasing. The reason for the increase of drug related deaths correlates directly to how easy it is to obtain certain drugs. Due to this, it is important to be educated about the effects that drugs can have on oneself and society as a whole.

This course is set up into ten separate weeks. Each week will include one primary source about the topic, and three secondary sources placed for support. The first eight weeks will introduce a drug and go over the effects said drug can bring about. The first eight weeks are set up to flow into one another by most popular or “known” to least popular or “known”.The ninth week will go over short-term and long-term effects of the drugs. Lastly, the tenth week will summarize everything as a whole.

There will also be two assignments in this class, aside from recommended, but not required note taking. After week three you will be asked to write a paper, and after week ten you will take a cumulative exam. Attendance is important, but not required, in order to get the most out of the class, and to score well on assignments.

Overall, this course is designed as an informative one in hopes that the knowledge taken away will be put to use when making decisions in the future. The primary objective of this course is to ensure that you will be educated about the dangers and effects of drugs. The goal for you is that you will be able to take this knowledge and apply it to your everyday lives and decision-making processes. Hopefully after this course you will have developed a better awareness of the world around you.

Week 1- Effects of Alcohol

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

 

Week 2- Effects of Tobacco

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

 

Week 3- Effects of Recreational Marijuana

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

Assignment: You must write a 3-4 page paper about one of the weeks we have already discussed. The goal of this paper is for you to become the expert. You are writing a letter to a figurative friend who has an addiction to your chosen topic. You want to inform them of all the effects their addiction can have in order to get them to stop. You must use six sources total, four of which must be ones you have never been introduced to. Therefore, you may use two of the sources from this course.

Week 4- Effects of LSD or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

Week 5- Effects of Cocaine

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

 

Week 6- Effects of Meth

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

Week 7- Effects of Heroine

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

Week 8- Effects of Fentanyl

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

Week 9- Short-term and Long-term Effects

Primary Sources

Week 10- Treatment

Primary Sources

Secondary Readings

Assignment: The final assignment will be a project. You must make a pamphlet that discusses drug abuse. It can be about a specific drug or an accumulation of them. There must be a title page, an informative page about the drug(s) and what it/they do, and a page about seeking help. The rest is up to you. Correct and accurate content are most important, but neatness and creativity are also imperative.

Strategies for a Strong Presentation

The three strategies I found most useful in chapter 15 for a good presentation were having a strong introduction and conclusion, straightforward syntax and diction, and successful use of visuals. Having a strong introduction and conclusion is important because people tend to remember those parts the most. In these, strong statements, opinions, and images will be best. The introduction should clearly state what the focus of the presentation is, while the conclusion should restate and wrap it all up.

Having straightforward syntax and concrete diction is necessary for a strong presentation because it will be easier for the listener to comprehend. Short statements that pack a punch while covering necessary topics is the way to go.

Lastly, using visual successfully is important because you want to the listeners to be able to see the visuals clearly, and be able to understand them. Too small of a visual will be hard for audience members in the back to comprehend. Also, big font is important for PowerPoint presentations.

In my public syllabus, when presenting, I will utilize all of these strategies. I will be sure that my introduction is informational and leaves the listeners eager to hear more, and that my conclusion wraps everything up that way no person is left wondering. I will make sure that my syntax and diction are clear and concise that way no one is confused or gets bored listening. Finally, I will have large font and images in the PowerPoint to make sure every person can see and read clearly.

Intoxicating the Innocent

Cigarette smoke pollution is a world-wide issue that has led to many campaign and ad creations in attempts to shed light on the potential harm and damage cigarettes can cause. While first hand cigarette smoke is inhaled willingly– secondhand smoke is most commonly not. It can be just as damaging as first hand; the only difference being it is usually not wanted. To some degree, smokers are aware just how damaging inhaling the tobacco is to their own body and the ones around them, but with images and ads like the one below, it can put the dangers of cigarette smoking into a whole new perspective for them. Although cigarette smoking around children could seem harmless considering the children are not directly inhaling, it should be put to a stop due to the potential dangers the secondhand smoke puts the youth at risk for.

Targeting parents who smoke, the image below sheds light on how damaging secondhand cigarette smoke is for their child. The American Nonsmokers’ Rights foundation showed that every two out of five children are affected by secondhand smoke inside their own home. Besides the ultimate problem for the children being lung cancer, this can also lead to ear infections, more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections and for infants, a greater risk for SIDS (Smoking and Tobacco Use). Advertisement’s like this one is becoming more frequent in hopes to lower statistics of children affected by secondhand smoke.

This advertisement appeals greatly to ethos and logos, but especially to pathos. Firstly, its appeal to ethos comes from the source. The bottom of the image shows it was produced by Tobacco Free Future, which is a foundation that works towards bringing an end to anything tobacco related. The image of the baby, and specifically the words “You smoke, your child smokes! Take your smoke outside.” adds credibility to the source by working to show just how ethically wrong it is to smoke in front of a child. It is implying that if one is smoking in front of their child, the child is basically smoking as well. By comparing the parents smoking as equal to their child smoking it causes them to think about their personal habits more sincerely.

Secondly, the appeal to logos comes from the statistic at the bottom of the image. It states that by the time the child is six years old, they would have inhaled the amount of cigarette smoke that is equivalent to them firsthand smoking 120 packs of cigarettes. Looking further into statistics on young kids who are exposed to secondhand smoke regularly, it seemed to prove true. A study done by the Office of Health and Hazard shows that 60% of children from newborns to age seven that are exposed to secondhand smoke suffer from acute respiratory illnesses, 24-40% suffer from chronic respiratory symptoms, and 21% contract asthma and exacerbation of asthma symptoms. Thus, the advertisement’s statistic helps to persuade the targeted parents by reason.

Thirdly, the appeals to pathos in this image is strong. By pairing a smoking advertisement with a picture of a baby concern is immediately felt. By choosing to show the baby with black lungs the source succeeds at expressing sadness, fear, and worry for the child. Portraying the baby that way is an effective way to persuade a parent to stop smoking around their child because no sane and loving parent would ever want to harm their child. A harmed baby is major cause for concern, so by using it to show what parents who smoke around their children cannot see and to show what they are ultimately doing to their child is a powerful way to convince them to stop.

Overall, this image uses ethos, pathos, and logos in an attempt to stop secondhand smoke exposure. Through its use of diction and visual aid, the advertisement’s message is clear and strong.

 

 

Works Citied

“Office of Environmental Health Hazard.” Health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. California Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, oehha.ca.gov/air/environmental_tobacco/finalets.html

“Secondhand Smoke.” No Smoke, American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, 15 May 2017, http://www.no-smoke.org/getthefacts.php?id=13.

“Smoking & Tobacco Use.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 Feb. 2017, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/general_facts/index.htm.

Degree Free & Still Livin’ The Dream

In today’s day an age, in most cases, financial success is usually always backed up by a college degree of some sort. Usually. However, some defy the odds against them and make it without one simply because of hard work and dedication– and they can do it at a young age, too. At 21 years old, my brother, Joel, has defied the odds against him and is more than financially stable. Some could argue that because he works for my fathers company that he had a “leg up” in life. That he never really had to work for all that he has and that it has been handed to him. In all reality, the only thing that really ever came easily to Joel was his desire to work, and strive to be better and do better everyday. Sure, he never had to worry about a job, but it is what he did with his opportunity that made him who he is now and allowed him to have what he has. At his young age he owns a dog, a house, and two cars. His ability to own such items is due to his dedication and work ethic; not to a college degree.

 

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Joel clocks in at 8:00 in the morning. He starts his day with drinking his morning coffee and checking over his job board to see all of his tasks. 

My brother has been working with my dad for his company since he was 14 learning all of the tricks of the trade. By the time his junior year of high school came around I noticed that he was not making any plans for college. That led me to wonder if he was just being lazy and taking the easy route, or if he actually enjoyed doing heating and cooling. Thinking back, I kind of feel guilty for that now. I remember hearing my parents always harping on him about his decision. They said that even if he wanted to work for my them he still had to get a degree as a back up plan. Despite their pleas, he refused.

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Joel has this sign up in his office as a daily reminder to keep working hard. This is one of his favorite sayings along with “97% of the people who quit work for the 3% of the people who didn’t”

His argument for not pursuing college was that my dad did not go and that he turned out just fine and now runs one of the best HVAC companies in the Detroit Metro area (it’s true, google it). With that argument my dad argued back that he owed his success to his hard work and despite all that he has, he still wished he would’ve gone to school. Even with that being said, Joel did not buy it.

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Joel yelling at me before leaving for his first job of the day.

After he made his decision final about not attending college, I sort of became worried. Sure, I knew he was a hard worker and would probably do alright, but I had seen and heard about a lot of people who tried to follow in their parents foot steps and grew to hate it. I knew that he would only pursue heating and cooling if he really liked it, but I still worried a little that he would regret his decision and not have a back up.

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Joel assessing and fixing the problem with a customers furnace. He typically has 6-7 jobs a day fixing heating and cooling devices for people. 

He proved me so wrong. At 18, he started full time working as a service technician and sometimes in the install department. He’d work long day after long day and never would complain. He genuinely seemed to enjoy what he did.

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Conversing with another fellow manager, Joel displays his “‘serious” face. Despite my begging for him to act natural, this is what I got. 

Three years later and he now has the fancy title of Service Technician Manager. As said before, he owns a home, and two cars (his babies) and a dog (his other baby). Despite his long hours, he still enjoys what he does and does not take his success for granted. He continues to work hard and strives for more each and every day. Even though he owes most of his success to his work ethic and determination, he owes a lot of it to our parents as well. While degrees are important, they don’t necessarily back up every success story. Joel is an example of that, and I could not be prouder of him.

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At the end of every long work day, Joel winds down the night with his three best friends and his dog, Sam. All of Joel’s friends also work for Mechanical Heating and Cooling– making Joel their boss. Pretty cool at 21. 

It Pays to Learn

 

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In this Photo Andrew DeSana is at work. Early morning work is one of two options for him as a college student. He works early before classes, so he has time for a life after class. Andrew works part time so that he is able to attend classes full time. Many college students have to work throughout their college years to be able to pay their bills or to have spending money. With that being said, many Students, myself included, have to sacrifice a lot of time to stay afloat.

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In the above photo Matthew is at work. He attends classes at University of Michigan- Dearborn as well as works there in the grounds department. He and his coworkers take care everything outside of the buildings on campus, ranging from mowing the grass to planting flowers. His boss allows him to work around his class schedule, and that flexibility plays a big role in him being able to go to school.

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In order to continue working to pay for my education, I schedule my work shifts around my class schedule. Class in the morning, rush 30 minutes away to Wixom, work for four hours, drive 30 minutes back to continue my classes. Although time consuming, it is what I have to do in order to further my education. So ultimately, she makes the sacrifice.

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This picture is of Andrew DeSana at class. He had spent that morning at work, and now is working hard in the classroom. Balancing work and school is difficult for him, especially when some days he is struggling to keep his eyes open. That is because most nights he is up late doing homework, because late nights is when Andrew typically has the most time to complete it. He sacrifices a good night sleep most night of the week in order to better himself at his job and at school. Because of that, his weekends are usually spent catching up on sleep.

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Even tho working more hours than I attend school for on most days takes a lot out of me, it is little reminders like this one that show me what I do means something to someone. After two classes, I went into work more tired than normal dreading the upcoming hours just thinking about how I would have to do it all over again days following. It wasn’t until I got this note and tip at the end of my shift giving me the extra push I needed to keep going. Waiting on tables is not my exact dream job, but for now, it is what it takes in order for me to have a better one in the future.

Group: Jessica Wensley, Andrew DeSana, and Matthew Denison.

Response Three

This sign, pictured below, was claimed to be up in front of a mosque in Dearborn, Michigan in which a non- Dearborn native was using it to defend her argument that something needed to be done about Dearborn and the Muslims who live there. When I first looked at the image my initial thought was “How stupid do people have to be to believe this is real?” it infuriated me that someone who did not even live in Dearborn, like I do, could not only post the picture, but make such false accusations.

Not looking at the sign but looking deeper to its surroundings I realized that I did not even recognize the area where the supposed sign was supposed to be. Also, that all of the cars in the picture looked particularly old and outdated to be from 2017 when the picture was posted. I then googled the words at the top of the sign “Advancement of Islamic Agenda for America” and was met with many different websites commenting on the accuracy of the sign and its location. It turned out the sign was not even real, and the background city was not Dearborn. It was a computer-generated image that someone created to cause controversy.

Therefore, the appeals to ethos is awful. Anyone could have googled what I did and would learn that it is untrue. True or not there’s a definite appeal to pathos. It made me mad because of the inaccuracy but for others less educated than I am it could have made them angry for a whole other reason, like the imbecile who posted it.Image-1

 

 

 

 

 

Response Two

Scrolling through Facebook I saw an article titled “’These Are The 16 Items That You Should Always Buy at Costco”. A diply.com representative shared her thoughts to Costco shoppers arguing that her listed 16 items should be every Costco shoppers go to’s.  By sharing her opinion and giving a reasonable justification behind each product it can be assumed that customers would be persuaded to add those items onto their shopping list. Relating back to chapter 1 and the “Kinds of Argument” stasis theory, I would say that this argument is more of an argument of evaluation. I say this because the representative is taking all of Costco’s goods and compiling a small list of essentials based on her own judgement but also backing up her judgments with arguable facts. This article appeals to logos the most. For example, when she talks about her first listed item, Kirkland pure maple syrup, she claims everyone should by it because it’s cheaper than other brands sold at other stores. She appeals to pathos by saying “Plus, it is the best maple syrup I’ve ever had.” When talking about her 6th item on the list, Stretch Island fruit strips she makes an appeal to pathos by introducing humor and saying, “Some kids love the taste of dried out fruit flattened into chewy strips”, shortly following with an appeal to logos by again, stating how much cheaper it is to buy in bulk at Costco. On her 8th listen item, active dry yeast, she makes another appeal to pathos by triggering humor when saying “OK, I’m going to be honest with this one, I don’t even know when I would use yeast. Yeast is used for baking, right?” then again follows by convincing readers to buy it from Costco because of how cost effective it is. Overall, her article is full of pathos and logos appeal. Mostly humorous approaches, and then approaches to how much money one would say buying these items in bulk from Costco.