Below are two sample essays. Neither one is very good at documenting sources in their texts consistently (parenthetical citations). However, they are strong in their development of concrete points, good solid paragraph structure, a meaningful thesis, and a really good balance of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. (My notes for Mary's didn't stay underlined. I'll have to go back and fix this later. But at least you've got a good groundwork here for now.)
31 May 2010
Research
Paper
the city of
Juarez, Mexico, where women’s lives have been extremely affected by the act
of “femicide, the murder of women by men,”
as defined by Rafael Luevano author of “ A Living Call: The Theological Challenge
of the Juarez-Chihuahua Femicides” (75). The Mexican government has failed in
the protection of women leaving the working-class women vulnerable to acts of
terrorism against them. This clearly demonstrates that the government views
women as less in value than are men. This is a great injustice; therefore, the
whole world, but specially Mexico
and the U.S, should become aware about the situation and get involved in ending
the injustices. In city of Juarez, Mexico, women are being murdered and the
government has failed to provide them protection, but there are solutions to
the problem.
The victims of these atrocities are
brave, hardworking women who live in the worst and poorest conditions in Juarez.
They are called Maquilladora workers, which is a common reference to women who work
in the Maquilladora factories. Maquilladoras are factories operated by foreign
corporations (cite source for info). These types of factories are booming in
this city why? Develop point more fully. Getting a job on one of the hundreds
of Maquilladora factories seems to be the only employment opportunity for poor,
untrained women, who are just looking for a better life. They want a job from
which they can earn an income, so they can bring bread to their tables. Female
students who also want to earn some money by working in these Maquilladora
factories are also victims. They work in the Maquilladora factories to buy some
books, so they can continue their education because they are students whose
parents, with enormous efforts—yes you might want to discuss this, why does it
take a great effort for most people in Mexico to attend university? Give us
some background, send them to school. These are resident women, but also
strange line breakwomen who came to the city Juarez from all over the country
seeking for a better life. Is that a reason to murder these women? Answer the
questions you ask, and don’t wait to do so.
Since
1993, many women have disappeared. Approximately 500 women have been found
murdered and more than 250 women have just vanished (good page number, but
where can we find this info? Cite the source, too 67). Nobody knows who is
doing this, and why. The victims of this “grave evil” share similar
characteristics (74). They are pretty and slender with dark shoulder-length
hair, big black ayes and full lips, according to Teresa Rodriguez author of
“The Daughters of Juarez.” How is that different than other women in that area?
How do most people look? Put it in perspective so we can appreciate all of your
points as you present them. Most of the victims were Maquilladora workers but
not necessarily; some of them were students who came from poor families; they
were kidnapped on their way home from school. The victims’ bodies have been
found days or months later in the remote areas of the city of Juarez. When this case started to happen, women’s
bodies were abandoned in the outlying areas of Juarez, but recently the killers
have been dumping the bodies in the city
itself. (37). The bodies show signs of
“brutality more haunting than any nightmare” (Luevanos 70). Some dead bodies’
autopsies reveal that women were sexually violated repeatedly. Luevanos also
points out that “in many cases, their bodies have been dismembered or burned.
Many are grotesquely mutilated; some have their nipples bitten off or their
clitoris and labia sliced away with a knife” (70). Horrifying L
Other bodies have been marked with a “V” on their buttocks (70). This implies that for the killers, women have
no value as human beings. These killers are equating women to animals when they
mark their bodies because animals are the ones who are normally marked by
humans. It has been almost two decades since these monstrosities nice diction started
and still continue to happen, and the killers are still in anonymous. No one
knows who they are? Really? No clues? Why? Explain point fully
There
are many factors which contribute to the act of terrorism against the women of
Juarez, according to Luevano, but one that is clear is the lack of interest by
the
government
in solving this big problem. There is no response by law enforcement when missing
women have been reported by their families. When the affected families go to
the police station to report the missing women, the police officers act with
repugnant nice diction attitudes,asking questions like: “Does she go to bars
frequently?”, “How does she dress?”, or
“Does she wear miniskirts?” (Rodriguez 20). The police officers give a sense of
omit weird line breakprejudice; the police
officers end the report with these answers: “She probably went with some cholo,
some guy, a boyfriend” and she will eventually return (21). The lack of interest in solving the crimes is
obvious because the police officers are not getting the right information by
the families of the victims, so they can get clues that will help to solve the
crimes. But also, the officers’ prejudice against women, insinuating that
because a woman goes to a bar to have some fun that makes her a bad person, and
because she wears a miniskirt, she provokes the crime. In fact according to
Rodriguez, these working-class women were kidnapped on their way in or out of work,
and they were wearing sweats and tennis shoes. Victims were not wearing
scandalous clothing—such as? Give concrete example so we know about what you
are speaking. The police officers justified these atrocities by saying “How
common it (was) for women to lead double lives” (Sarria 4). The police officers
are implying that just because these women go out to at night to have some fun
at some bar that makes them prostitutes and for that reason these women
deserved this act of violence against them. The conclusions of these police officers
is shameful. Even if the women were prostitutes, they are people, and it is the
police officers obligations by law to protect them. Excellent development and
synthesis. Also, in 1995 the governor, at that time, of Chihuahua, Francisco Barrio, recommended parents to keep
their daughters from going out at night. He is implying that just because they
are women, if they go out at night, women’ destiny will die in the most violent
way. Where is the government protection?
What conclusion do you reach?
The government has failed in the
protection of the women of Juarez in many more
aspects. Luevanos research brings out the case of a young woman named Sagrario
Gonzales. Family members of this young woman escorted her every day in the way
to and from work. Sagrario’ Family members worked alongside in other local plan.
One day, Sagrario was photographed by the Maquilladora bosses without any
explanation after that her work schedule changed. Consequently, Sagrario and
her family members had no longer the same work schedule; therefore, her family
members were not able to escort her, leaving Sagrario without protection. And
after that she disappeared. The authorities found her body five days later in a
vacant lot. Sagrario’s body showed signs of
being “stabbed numerous times and stranged”. That Sagrario’ case is very
strange. One question to ask would be: Do The Maquiladora factories have
something to do with these murders?. Therefore, there is the need for an
investigation by the government authorities; however, they are just indifferent
towards the situations. Another aspect
to considerer is that these atrocities started to happen since these
Maquilladora factories started to boom in the city. These are clues for the
government authorities to help to catch the killers; however, the government
remains completely blind and indifferent towards this situation. The government has lucrative
views. By allowing the Maquilladora factories to continue working, there will
be more “foreign Investment” according to Nidya Sarria author of “Femicides of
Juarez: Violence Against Women in Mexico”; therefore, there would be
more jobs and money for the country according to the government. These
demonstrate that society still see women as material objects.
Although in early times
Wollstonecraft fought very hard to convince society, but specially men that
women are created equal to men, therefore women should be seen as something
other than a material object. Those inequalities in the treatment of women still
happen in this actual society. It seems that women have preference over men at
the Maquilladora factories because the Maquilladora factories only employ
women. But it is not because the Maquilladora factories are given preference to
women over men, it is because Maquiladora’ bosses assume that women will be
more obedient, flexible to change work schedule and for their nimble finger. In
addition to the aforementioned as long Maquilladora factories continue to boom
in the city of Juarez
and hire women, these poor untrained women will continue to emigrate to the city
seeking job opportunities. The difficulty of the problem is worse because it is
almost impossible to have control of the actual number of people living in Juarez. Consequently, it is difficult for the police
officers to know who the women are, and police officers do not have way to
contact her family and by the lack of any reclaim of the woman murdered the
police officers simply end this case by not starting any investigations. Such
situation is in favor of the killers because there is not legal consequence.
Also, in many cases there are no reports of
women who
have disappeared since these poor, young, innocent women are immigrants who the
majority of the time came alone from others cities to the city of Juarez. They do not have
families in city Juarez who can report them if
they have disappeared. For these poor
women, it is difficult to have every day contact with their families living in
others cities because a phone call cost money which these poor women will need to
buy some tortillas. Consequently, the families of these brutally murdered women
find out their disappearance sometimes months later, which makes it more difficult
to find clues to help find the killer because when they start de investigation
is almost impossible to attain more specific evidence and the killers have time
to get away and continue in anonymity. Also, when police officers start the
investigation months later and they find the body, the body is in such advanced
state of decomposition that is very hard to find the pieces to this puzzle that
will help to solve the crime. People see the government as failing in the
protection of women of Juarez to some extent
by keeping Maquilladora factories
running their businesses.
Although the government has failed to
protect women, there are solutions to help to win justice. The first step is by
working in raise awareness of the situation. Wollstonecraft worked very hard to
rectify society, specifically men, of unfairness against women by pointing out
the inequalities in the treatments of the women; Wollstonecraft made society
aware of the situation. Likely, there is a need to make the world aware of the
“Femicide” of Juarez, Mexico (3).The whole world should
be involved. Although it has been almost two decades since these criminals started,
there is a
small
minority of people who know about these inhumane acts. “I would suggest that
the theologian has an obligation to address sexual abuse and murder of women as
a violation of human dignity and a call to social justice” (luevanos 76). The
Christian theologian must be aware to the events themselves and help educate
society by making them aware of the consequences of the inequalities which is
murder. Inequalities are the root of the failure of the protections against
women. Since Christian Theologian has a strong influence in society because it
has a powerful reputation, it will be very healthful to solve the problem. The
media should become involved too, the news, the newspaper, internet, all of
these fountain of information should help involve people by giving them
information about this situation and making every person in this work become
aware of the atrocities that are occurring in this glooming city.
However, there is a second step to make which
is call for action like Stanton
did. Stanton
stood up by evoking conventions. One way to solve the problem is taking more
action. Maquilladora factories have
responsibility towards their workers by providing them secure transportation.
Maquilladora factories should provide bus services, and drop and pick up their
workers to and from the front door of worker houses. Also, when there is an
absent of an employee, there should be a report to the police officer
immediately. Another smart way to help solve the problem will be to send criminal
profilers from the FBI by the U.S government because it will help to stop those
corrupt Mexican police officers from continue the felony of ignoring the crimes,
and there will be a more accurate investigation on the case.
Women and men are by no means equal.
There are always going to be certain attributes of each gender that the other
cannot duplicate, but this does not mean that one is better
than the other. Women have the same rights of protection by the government as
much as men. If they denied women rights as human beings, it is injustice. Therefore,
we all have the moral responsibility to help bring unfairness to an end, so we
can bring a world in which love reigns, and women can wall dawn the streets
with not fear.
Works Cited
Jacobus,
Lee A., ed. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College
Writers,8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. Print.
Luevano,
Rafael. “A Living Call: The Theological Challenge of the Juarez-Chihuahua Femicides.” Journal of Feminist
Studies in Religion 24.2 (2008): 67-76. Print.
Rodriguez,
Teresa, et al. The Daughters of Juarez: A True Story of
Serial Murder South of the Border. New
York, NY: ATRIA
Books, 2007. Print.
Sarria,
Nidya. “Femicides of Juarez: Violence Against Women in Mexico.” Washington
Report on the Hemisphere 29.16 (2009): 3-4.
ProQuest. Web. 25 May 2010.
Stanton,
Elizabeth Cady.
“Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers, 8th
ed. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. (201-08). Print.
Wollstonecraft,
Mary. “Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions
Established in Society.” A World of
Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers, 8th ed. Ed. Lee
A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. (799-812). Print.
Mira Vigliosa
Prof. Cohenour
English 101
4 August 2010
A
Threat to Humanity
Los
Zetas is a criminal organization that specializes in illegal drug trade. They
are mostly based in the Gulf as well as Texas,
Arizona, and California. Los Zetas first started in 1999 as
a private mercenary army for the Gulf Cartel. The original founder, Arturo
Guzman Decena, hired a group of highly trained gunmen. However, the
organization now consists of corrupt ex-federal, state, and local police
officers, as well as ex- Kaibiles (former soldiers) from Guatemala. They
are significantly dangerous because some of them were trained in the U.S. to
comprehend drug smugglers and their routes. Therefore it is ironic because it
is as if they were trained to become break the law and succeed in doing so. Excellent
point. Since the beginning of this year, Los Zetas have been
independent and are now enemies with their former employer, The Gulf Cartel.
Los Zetas are now led by Heriberto Lazcano. They are “considered by the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) as probably being the most violent
paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico,” (Kyle). Great
research, quote integration, and MLA! Rockin! They are known to
capture Americans and also kill their enemies with gruesome savagery.
Nicely put They also kidnap tourists and kill them in order to
stuff them with drugs and smuggle them into the U.S. It is extremely disturbing
that they are able to take a life just to use the body for drug smuggling. It
demonstrates that these savages have no value for humanity. They have no
respect or moral values as to what a human is worthy of. Good, focused
so-what factor. There is a testimony of a mother who got her 4
year old boy stolen away from her (cite as an
interview). When they found
the poor boy, he had been killed and stuffed with drugs. The woman who was
carrying the boy in her arms was trying to pass him through the border as her
son. It seems so hard to believe how she was able to carry around a lifeless
body with no remorse. As opposed to someone with moral values, who would have
never even thought of taking an infant away from his mother in the first place?
Looking at the specifics of how Los
Zetas is organized and run, one sees that there is a strong argument for
stronger border patrol at the U.S.
border and that Mexican police corruption is too often obligatory. The police
in both the U.S. and Mexico need to
work together to attack this terrorist organization to protect Mexican and
American citizens alike. Yes, how could they do that? Explain fully.
Los
Zetas are extremely successful with their drug cartel because they are neatly
structured. It is to say that they work
as a team despite the fact that there are about 3,000 members. Having so many
members makes it difficult to run such an organization but they are able to do
it because they are very rich. The Zetas have their own training camps which
are located in large ranches. They operate in a pyramid-like form. At the very
top are the original members in charge. Then there are Los Halcones (The Hawks) who keep watch over distribution zones and
use 2 meter-radio band. For example, “The Halcones stand on overpasses that
cross major highways just to take note of the traffic flowing in and out of
town. These men likely work in business, politics, at bars, at hospitals,
anywhere, and everywhere,” (Logan). Therefore you cannot trust anyone. Mexico’s own
citizens are participating in this criminal organization. How are the citizens
ever going to get rid of Los Zetas if they are empowering them to trash the country
by helping them? This will make it more difficult for the border patrol and the
Mexican government to fight back Los Zetas because the citizens are also
involved. Los Ventanas (The Windows) are young teenagers who ride their bikes
and whistle to warn local stores that sell drugs when police are nearby.
Moreover, there are Los Mañosos (The
Cunning Ones) who acquire arms. They even have prostitutes called the Leopards
who gather information from their clients. At the bottom are Direccion (command) who act upon the
dirtiest work. The Command are experts who intercept phone calls, follow and
identify suspicious vehicles, and accomplish kidnappings and executions. All of
these are just the main branches who play a major role in the Drug cartel but
this does not include all the U.S.
gangs who work for them. The U.S. gangs help distribute the drugs in Arizona, Texas, and California. Having this
said, not only should there be stronger border patrol but if these gangs
consists of illegal immigrants distributing the drugs, then they should be
deported from the U.S. because they are not here with intentions to work and
contribute to our economy. They are here with intentions to harm our
communities, take advantage of our system, and empower Los Zetas to expand more
throughout our cities. Good point. Many people have hope of
crossing the border to have a better life and to get away from the violence in
Mexico, but I believe they cannot keep
running away from Mexico’s problems. Excellent point.
The citizens need to face their government and stand up to Los Zetas. This way
they can have a better life in their own country and not have to flee leaving
their families behind. Yes,
and America ought to stand behind the people of Mexico to eradicate such
beasts.
All of this goes
to show that Los Zetas is much more organized than its own Mexican government.
The Mexican Government cannot even balance the country’s checkbook. Let alone,
they cannot handle Los Zetas. The Mexican government has a great number of
corrupt politicians which affects the citizens of Mexico because there is no help
offered to them, especially that of justice. The Mexican politicians are known
to easily be convinced by money. Therefore they have no interest of helping its
people, only to fatten their pockets. For example, there are many testimonies
by friends and family that their experience when visiting Mexico was very
unjust. People get stopped by the police for no reason, and they threaten to
take you into custody unless you give them money. How much money they charge
you varies from 40 to 200+ dollars. Your choice is to go to jail or pay your
way out of the situation. Most people pay themselves out of the situation. It
is going to take a lot more than the Mexican army to stop Los Zetas and the corrupt
government itself because they have way too many people involved and way too
much money, driving cops to switch from working for the government over to Los
Zetas.Good point!!
Los
Zetas are able to expand due to all the funds they offer to whoever has the
guts to join. In an interview, the Secretary of Public Security, Genaro García
Luna, “affirmed that the criminal organization finances the state police with
277.27 million pesos monthly” (Narco blog). The
Zetas recruit many corrupt government officials because they offer them a much higher
salary. The money bribes these corrupt ex- federal, state, and local police
officers to switch over because the Mexican government pays very little. They
pay local police officers a monthly salary of about 4,000 pesos which is 400
American dollars. The Mexican economy itself is very poor that is why many
people betray their morals in order to make a better living. These ex-policemen
play a major role in the organization because they are not just any average Joe
off the street. They are well-trained militants who can operate heavy
ammunition and are able to organize and apply their militant tactics to the
drug cartel. This gang is very dangerous. However, it is very disappointing
because these ex-soldiers and policemen had former jobs that required them to
apply justice to the best of their ability. Soldiers are supposed to stand up
for people. Police officers are supposed to secure the safety of the citizens.
Instead, they are applying their knowledge to kill thousands of people and
secure drug zones. Instead they are putting justice for sale. How can you go to
a police station for help when you cannot even trust the cops? Ironically it
would be like approaching the criminal who you are running from to begin with
because the cops are the Zetas.
Mexican
police corruption is too often involuntary. They are forced to become part of
Los Zetas. Los Zetas use a method called
“Plata o Plomo?” This is basically when members of Los Zetas
confront police officers with the choice of accepting their silver or their
lead. If they take the silver, then they get to live but they have to work for
Los Zetas. If they choose the lead, then they simply get shot and killed on the
spot. What would one choose if they are a police officer who has a family to
look after? Will he/ she choose the silver or the lead? Most cops will choose
the silver. However, by choosing the silver they loose all their rights of
freedom. They become part of a violent terrorist organization. They leave
behind all their moral values because with the Zetas, morality does not exist.
All that exist now is money and corruption: survival vs. death. The police
officers, who once stood for justice, now stand for money and the killings of
many people. Working for the zetas means they have to do as the Zetas say. The
irony with this is who do the cops go to for help? There is no one who can help
them now because México cannot provide law and order because it does not exist
at this point. They are subjected to violence and no freewill. Citizens are
also obligated to be a part of Los Zetas. For example, this is a testimony of a
former member of the organization who was forced to distribute cocaine. He
explained,
“how he had been recruited at gunpoint two years earlier
by the Zetas to be what they call a "landowner" (terrateniente in
Spanish) -- in charge of cocaine distribution in a handful of neighborhoods.
He said Zeta gunmen bundled him into a
truck and with assault rifles aimed at his head they gave him three options --
pay them $100,000, begin working for them or die.
Over the next few days, he said, the
same gunmen scared off or killed rival drug dealers, leaving him in charge of
what he said was a $4,000-a-day business. The spacing here is
all funky.
It all ended, he said, when Mexican
soldiers kicked down his door. He was never detained but his cover was blown.
Local Zeta commanders thanked him for not ratting on them by giving him
permission to retire from the business,” (Penhaul). Excellent research.
This anonymous citizen was very
fortunate and how! to be retired. However, one
can see the tactic of “Plata o plomo” works very well. Citizens should also not
be forced to be a part of the gruesome business of selling drugs. With
this, one can appreciate the job that he/she has because we have the choice
between which jobs are more convenient to us. If they are not, we can choose to
quit and most of all we get to live. Many of the policemen as well as citizens
wished they had the freewill of choosing a job instead of being forced into a
corrupt job.
In
regards to jobs, every year there are many humble people who try to cross the border
to the U.S. in search of a better life. Many of them are
hard working people who seek job opportunities. Although it would be good for
our economy to have such hard working people contribute to our economy, I still
believe in a stronger border patrol. The reason is because it is very hard to
cross the desert now because of so many delinquents roaming the desert.
Therefore if we do not enforce our borders and protect ourselves, then we are
not going to have hardworking people coming in, we are going to have Los Zetas
coming in to our country. If they are to come in to our country they will bring
violence and drugs into our community. It does not make sense that we are
waging a war on terrorism yet wet cannot even enforce our own borders. If we do
not have Border Patrol, we do not have National Security. We need to protect
ourselves from the terrorist.
In
order to understand this terrorist organization, we need to really see the
extent that the drug cartels willing to go in order to send their message. Many
times we dismiss reality and we cannot see the horrific side of these violent
acts. These drug cartels take gruesome brutality to the streets of Mexico.
One journalist posted pictures of three men who were found dismembered and
decapitated in a chapel. The scene is very horrifying. It is said to be the
work of the Gulf Cartel but it has not been confirmed. The scene consisted of
three bodies. At the Center of the Chapel laid the head of one of the bodies;
on the floor were the three bodies with missing heads; their bodies had the
letter Z carved with a knife onto their chest and back; the bodies had their
hands tied up with dug tape; and on the tree hung part of the leg of one of the
bodies. On the glass door of the chapel it read, “to those who protect Gulf
members,” (Iliana). The interpretation is said to be the work of Los Zetas
themselves as a warning to the Gulf Cartel. Maybe they carved the Z as a
trademark of themselves. This scene shows the brutality of one group against
Los Zetas and the disrespect of the citizens’ religion. It is sickening to know
that whoever did this has no dignity and no value for humanity. If I was a
citizen there, it would be alarming to see this. The understanding one can take
of the message they are trying to convey by placing the dismembered bodies in a
chapel is that not even God could save these men from being tortured in this
savage manner. We need to realize that the citizens of Mexico are
experiencing this nightmare come to reality on a routine basis. The people of Mexico are in the middle of a cross
fire of a war between the government and Drug Cartels fighting with each other.
The disappointing factor is that innocent people get caught in between like
journalists, migrants, and other innocent people who have no role in this
chaos. For example, Los Zetas smashed the fingers of a journalist as a warning
to all to mind their own business. At this point they are not to mess with.
There
is only so much the Mexican government can do for the poor citizens who are
witnessing so much violence. Mexico
is like a deep wound at this point. They will need a strong military to stop
the blood flowing through the streets and finally place a band aid to slowly
repair all the damages made. Sadly, it seems that Mexico’s recovery will not come any
time soon. However, as American Citizens we can prevent this before it reaches
the brutal extent and we start to see so many acts of violence in our own
country. The organization and military
preparation that Los Zetas have, needs to be abolished. Through border patrol
and the the team work of the United States
and Mexico,
this terrorist organization can be stopped. Mexican police corruption that is
obligatory will restore law and order to the communities once the Zetas have
been rid of. Lastly, the most important objective is to protect the Mexican and
American citizens alike.
