Essays on Alarcon

Many people agree that the most severe crimes deserve the most severe punishment. A great deal of people views the death penalty as a just and the most appropriate measure in this case. But do you know how many executions were carried out since 1978? Only thirteen. And these thirteen deaths cost about $4 billion taken from the pocket of California taxpayers (Alarcon and Mitchell 541). Impressive numbers, aren’t they? These figures speak for themselves. The death penalty system turned out to be ineffective and has to be replaced with more productive measures. The Proposition 34 is a ...

The Contestant

One argument presented by Alarcon in his piece is that the media has resorted to sensationalized reporting and presenting, even if the private lives of the people involved in the news are trampled on already. The media has become an unforgiving monster that in fact apparently did not want to have anything to do with Ruth Thalia after she disappeared. The parents’ interviews and appeal suddenly were being rescheduled, and only when the mother of Ruth Thalia revealed that the missing girl was the one from the reality show, it was only then that the media began to provide ...

Response to

The Contestant by Daniel Alarcon is an essay taken from the book Best American Non Required Reading 2015. The essay explores the ugly face of media and their unscrupulous ways used to increase viewership without concern for human values and emotions. A reality show named El Valor de la Verdad became very popular in Peru. It was the Peruvian version of the American show Moment of Truth. The show gained immense popularity due to its unique rules and regulations. Participants were asked personal questions and the truthfulness of their answers was checked using polygraphs. Right answers earned the participants ...

Capital punishment or the death penalty is one of the most contentious types of punishments in the United States of America. It is the type of punishment that puts to death an individual who is found guilty of a crime as a result of a legal trial. The implementation of the death penalty dates back to the 1600s but has undergone many reforms thereafter. The discharge of the death penalty is very uncommon because it is usually applied for crimes of aggravated murder. Because the public views the death penalty as too harsh, immoral, and inhumane, it has been ...

INTRODUCTION

In the modern era there are a plethora of diseases, conditions and disorders that can affect individual’s health, well-being and quality of life for people all across the world. Whether it is from cancer to infections or from diabetes to HIV there is always the possibility of contracting or developing disease. However, not all diseases are contracted or developed due to an external influence, there are some that originate from the inside; such conditions are generally referred to as an autoimmune disease. This means that the problem involves an individual’s own immune system, perceives their own body ...

Cultural Representation in Native America

According to chapter four, Native American religion has become a commodity today because people have taken advantage of the practice of shamanism in order to capitalize on the potential monetary benefits that come from it. People are assigning themselves “leadership roles” but are really just vying for control and exercising their hidden agendas (Sutler-Cohen 45). Knowledge and spirituality are thus transformed into profitable commodities run by businesspeople instead of true natural healers. By saying “You can own grandma’s songs,” Sutler-Cohen is referring to the practice of taking Native symbols and religious icons and transforming them into trendy or ...