"Black Men in Public Spaces(1986)," is a narrative essay written by Brent Staples which explores the phenomenon of racial profiling.  Staples uses personal incidents in his life in which he has been racially profiled by others as a criminal because of his race.  The authors intended purpose is make others more aware of their own social prejudices against others.  Staple's intended audience is everyone, he mentions how all races, classes, and sexes seem to hold these stereotypes.


      While I understand the point that the writer is trying to make in his essay, I could not help but come to the understanding that we all are profiled to some degree.  Whether it is based on a person's race, religion, sex, or age, there are always negative connotations associated with some aspects of a person's life.  Profiling seems unavoidable, it has existed since probably the dawn of time.  All groups of people seem to hold prejudice and stereotypes of others who are outside of their "group."


     Staples focuses on his own personal experiences with racial profiling on blacks.  The text begins when he is a young college student and experiences his first case of racial profiling.  He writes about how he becomes sort of familiar with other people's perception on him.  Because of this, he tries to make himself less threatening to others.  Though he writes on the topic of racial profilling, he does not really seem to use words like racial, prejudice, or stereotype in the text, that would make others believe he was painting himself as a victim. 


    
    

Thirty Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call The Police: A Shocking Story

"Thirty Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call The Police", which was written by Martin Gansberg, is an unfortunate and shocking story about a woman who was stalked from her workplace back to her home. She worked at a local bar and was the target of a man's fatal attack. She was stabbed multiple times by this stalker and was brutally murdered. During the first of his stabs, she yelled out desperately for help, but to no avail. The THIRTY-EIGHT people who lived in the same apartment building did not react and brushed it off as a simple argument between a couple.

When I read this story, I was shocked. How in the world could 38 different people not dial 911, or even check to see what was happening? Any one of those 38 people could have saved her life. She could still be walking around among us today. But no, they decided to ignore it and continue with what they were doing inside their homes. This event represents how many Americans are used to such situations and brush it off like it was nothing. Violence and crime are so common in that area that they did not even care to help out.

I believe Gansberg wrote this story to get people to take action. He wanted justice for this woman and wanted this kind of crime to end. People should be more aware of their surroundings. If you hear screams for help, go help them or call the authorities. It does not hurt to dial 911 in an emergency situation.

Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain,”(1998) is an informative essay written by Jessica Mitford, which explains the American embalming procedure.  Mitford develops the essay by explaining step by step the embalming process undertakers perform on deceased bodies.  Mitford’s purpose is to explain to others what goes on behind the scenes before a funeral is held.  Her intended audience is everyone, since we all will eventually have to experience some kind of burial process.

    As a self-admitting necrophobe, reading Mitford’s essay was a bit much to process and take in.  I literally felt sick while reading.  The embalming process to me has no logic. I have never had the desire to be buried or experience the embalming procedure.  It is not like the person who is dead knows what is going on anyway.  I try to avoid anything having to do with death, so having to read an assay based on corpses was quite morbid.

     The text reminds me why I try to avoid anything having to do with death.  I do not think I could ever partake in a career where dealing with dead bodies was a necessity . I really did not enjoy having to read this story, and I hope I will not have to in the immediate future.