IRB Intro #3: Helter Skelter- The True Story Of The Manson Murders

I've always been interested in murder. Well that's not totally true, my real interest peaks at the idea of the criminal mind. I love Law and Order, and I have even gone as far as watching actual trials for serial killers online for entertainment. Most interesting is picking apart a person and trying to answer the question that often the victims, police and even a handful of psychologist can't, why? For this reason, I chose Helter Skelter, by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry for my new IRB. This book covers Bugliosi's firsthand account of the Manson cases as a former prosecutor on Charles Manson's trial. Helter Skelter remains the number one best selling true crime book written for its vivid depiction of the true story behinding the chilling Manson family. In 1974, when this book was released, it flew off of store shelves as people were eager to get an inside look at the mastermind behind the series of brutal murders uncovered at the time. Bugliosi accurately describes the truth and detail behind the murders and the murderers in a way that Americans have not soon forgotten.

TOW #16: IRB "The Seven Good Years"- Second Half

          For this week's TOW, I will revisit and analyze the second half of Etgar Keret's notorious memoir, The Seven Good Years. Keret has a reputation of  delivering powerful messages while also managing to make his readers laugh, this book was no exception. His collection of essays covering birth, death, and every surreal experience in between successfully sheds light on both the tragedies in Israel, and the beauty of life itself. The interesting thing about this book is that the plot is far from evident. When reading, it seems like nothing more than a series of events, most very humorous, but seemingly lacking direction and meaning. What I came to find is that the beauty in this book is that it really does not need a plot as each story ends up telling you more and more about Keret, his loved ones, and the world around us that so few of us are ever actually exposed to. Keret's message is to value the good times even in the face of disaster such as terrorism or death. This is something which he successfully displays to the reader through his use of satire and blatant remarks in the face of despair.

          Keret is most known for his humor, whether it is through his popular podcast channel, his books or his personality, he always finds a way to express the person he is. This is something which he never lacks, even when he is in the midst of disaster. Though the majority of his story covers the uplifting or happy times in his life, most of the events occurred during a brutal war in Tel Aviv where Keret was exposed to gruesome things while trying to protect his family and raise his son. Keret makes this an enjoyable series of stories by allowing the reader to see how he looks at things. Keret spends one small chapter describing why he no longer writes book dedications which leads to his own creation of a seminar called, " fictitious book dedications". He explains that he would write things such as, "To Danny, who saved my life on the Litani. If you hadn't tied that tourniquet, there'd be no me and no book." These are untrue statements, but they represent Keret's humor and personality. This is balanced well with his blunt perspective at disaster. Toward the end, Keret starts talking about how good of a dad he has and immediately following he says, "Last week, I went to the hospital with him for a fairly routine test, and the doctors told us that he was going to die. Throughout the book Keret speaks of the great experiences he has with him father and then out of nowhere he says he is going to die. Keret does not dwell on death, which is an even better representative of what Keret's life is like. He is constantly surrounded by chaos, so much to the extent that the idea of death, even of his father, is numbed to him. This is something I appreciated as a reader because it made this story really about the "Good" even with all of the bad. It's inspirational, revealing and it really puts life as I know it into perspective.

TOW #15- Nonfiction- Bush's Speech To Congress After 9/11

On September 11, 2011, two planes, hijacked by members of the Islam terrorist group al-Qaeda, flew into the Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York. A third plane was flown into the pentagon and a fourth crashed into an open field in Pennsylvania. Thousands were killed in these attacks and even more lives were shattered across the nation, leaving the country wondering what would happen next. Nine days later, President George W. Bush delivered a powerful speech on the moral resolve necessary to overcome the disaster and defeat the terrorist enemy. Throughout his speech, Bush used a medley of rhetorical devices to empower the American people to fight back against al-Qaeda and resist defeat. Bush is powerful in the way he offers the normal way emergencies are interpreted in America versus the way the attacks were actually accepted. Toward the beginning, he announces that the state of the Union is usually delivered by the president in his chamber to the people, however, he

turns this around by giving examples of how the people are actually the ones delivering the state of the union in their own actions. Bush states that it is through "the endurances of rescuers...the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, and the saying of prayers" that America had shown that the current state of the Union was nothing but "strong". In doing so, he empowers the nation, and helps them see that their strength, united, is greater than any damage done by the enemy. The president also successful in his use of demonizing diction. In reference to al-Qaeda, he uses words like "the enemy", "enemies of freedom", "murderers". This helps Americans identify the issue and the source of their distress, further unifying them against one, rotten, source. Bush is avid in insisting that the United States is far from defeated, and as far as fighting terrorists goes, far from stopping with al-Qaeda. He uses hyperboles and extreme logical fallacies in order to draw vivid lines in the sands to show that terrorists that the fight is far from over and their goals of weakening the US have completely failed. Bush even proclaims to the US citizens, "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." He is forcing people to join the fight and choose a side in this battle, making it clear that the US is ready to come back stronger than ever,

TOW #14- Nonfiction- Bill Cosby Scandal Going to Court

This week I decided to write about an editorial surrounding yet another scandal in our country spreading faster than wildfire; the Bill Cosby sex scandal. In case the Cosby name is not already etched in your brain like the rest of the world, he is a world renowned African American actor, and stand up comedian who has broken down countless gender and race barriers throughout the nation. Most known for his 20th century sitcom The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby quickly became a popular and powerful man on and off the screen. However, just about a year ago, several allegations from numerous women emerged pinning Cosby as a dangerous, sadistic, man, responsible for each of their own often drug induced rape and sexual assaults. A piece in the Los Angles times , written by a contact reporter, Carla Hall responds to recent news that the Cosby case will now move from the court of public opinion to the court of justice. Hall's account of the case and it's evidence both contribute toward proving her opinion that whether Cosby is guilty or not, it is time to leave this to our justice system, rather than public opinion. Hall describes what Cosby has already been forced to surrender, she mentions "1 million in bail", "his passport" and numerous "organizations taking away honors and awards he was once given". In doing this, she almost makes Cosby seem like the victim in what has become a war of words and hear say between himself and dozens of women coming forth with their stories. Hall also describes the alleged actions of Cosby, but backs each account with her own feeling of uncertainty with the "lack of sufficient evidence". She makes the reader think before persecuting against Cosby in a case where nothing is totally set in stone, further emphasizing the importance of taking this to court.