Who Was She? A DNA Test Only Opened New Mysteries
Libby Copeland, in “Who Was She? A DNA Test Only Opened New Mysteries,” discusses the increased popularity of DNA testing, the process, and the impact the results can have on the people who choose this path. In the article, Copeland effectively uses structure, tone, word choice and other rhetoric devices to establish her purpose of informing her readers about the effects of DNA testing. Copeland writes the article not only to inform, but also to engage and interest the general public, or anyone considering DNA testing.
Copeland’s purpose to inform, as well as engage or entertain, is developed through the structure of the article. Specifically, the structure of Copeland’s article consists of a personal story and other examples, along with statistical data. Copeland wants her readers to understand how DNA testing can be an emotional process, having positive outcomes for many families and yet also causing potential burdens for
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Copeland is telling a story to help her readers connect to Plebuch and others in the DNA testing journey. Copeland wants her readers to consider the kind of impact DNA testing can have if they choose DNA testing. She builds empathy with her readers. Copeland uses questions throughout the article that the family asked themselves. “Could Jim Collin’s parents have been secret Irish Jews?” is only one question Copeland uses to put us in the Plebuch’s shoes. The author’s tone puts us in the middle of the journey. It was as if she made us feel the emotions and pain the family felt through every step of the process. She builds suspense as we read about the different theories Plebuch and her sister had during their journey to find the truth. Copeland’s tone is also very informative and factual. She uses statistics, quotes, and other examples to reinforce the purpose of her article and to support the
The murder of JonBenet Ramsey is a crime that received national attention and was seen on nightly news stations and talk shows across the country. All of this attention made the case extremely controversial (Saferstein, 2015). It is now over twenty years since the murder occurred and the case still remains unsolved. The development of DNA evidence has played a critical role in the course of this arduous investigation (Saferstein, 2015). Crucial mistakes were made from the very start of the investigation by police and then by the district attorney, Mary Lacy (Saferstein, 2015).
Even when Michael’s new defense team, through the innocence project, found a crime that was eerily similar to the method of murder and subsequent events to the one that Michael was convicted of, the new prosecutor in Williamson County fought hard to keep DNA testing from taking place, even stating that they objected to the testing now because the defense hadn’t requested it before (Morton, 2014). There was further evidence of ineffectiveness in that the coroner who’d changed his estimated time of death between the autopsy and trial, had come under scrutiny for his findings in this case, as well as several others, with claims of gross errors “including one case where he came to the conclusion that a man who’d been stabbed in the back had committed suicide” (Morton, 2014). This was only one of the many injustices that were committed against Michael Morton throughout his trial. In August of 2006, the defense was finally granted permission to perform DNA testing on the items that had been taken from his wife’s body (Morton, 2014). Although this testing did not reveal any information about the guilty party, it did at least give Michael the knowledge that Chris was not sexually violated before or after her death (Morton,
Dr. Wells, a 33-year old geneticist, has travelled around the world in search of an answer to a question that has crossed the minds of many people: “Where do we all come from?”. Throughout the movie, Wells travels everywhere, meeting different tribes and attempting to find genetic evidence supporting the theory that all people, of all races, originated from Africa 60,000 years ago. During his trip, he follows the path of genetic markers that the Y-chromosome has created, discovering the truth behind everyone’s different features, until he’s almost completely traced out the journey of the first people to travel out of Africa and into the rest of the world. Genetic markers, as Dr. Wells said, “write our history” and leave a long trail that can
What is surprising about the DNA tests students took? The students were genetically different from people in their own race. 6. What is the best way to understand genetic differences in human populations?
It really shows how important it was to solve this case, so much time and effort was put into this situation hoping the claims were true. Since no one knew who this woman really was, they took other DNA samples with random people and found a match, her DNA matched the DNA of Franziska Schanzkowska and that is what she was called. Another long lasting effect is that Anderson’s case was ended and not brought back until the year of 1991 when the dead bodies of Tsar and Tsarina’s family were found except two. One
Jade Sherwin May 14th, 2018 Essay test Rebecca Skloot’s book “The immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” tells the story of Henrietta Lacks a young mother, a descendant of slaves, whose suffering changed the course of medical research and made life healthier for the rest of us. Henrietta was diagnosed with cancer in numerous ways the Lacks family’s right to privacy was violated. The Lacks family’s right to privacy was violated by people exposing the Lacks’s information “Newspapers and magazines “published articles about Henrietta , one of the pivotal figures in the crusade against cancer.”
In the article, “Family of Man Cleared by DNA Still Seeks Justice,” Wade Goodwyn writes about the rape of Michele Mallin and the confession that sets free a wrongly convicted man. Timothy Cole, a student in Lubbock was arrested and convicted as the Texas Tech rapist based on the eyewitness account of one victim. On Sunday night, March 24th, 1985, Michele Mallin, a college sophomore at the time, needed to move her vehicle to a legal parking spot after forgetting to earlier that day. At around 10pm, after finishing moving her car, a man appeared asking her for jumper cables to fix his broke down car. Mallin recalls him pushing her back into her own car, threatening to kill her with a knife and chain-smoking the entire time during the attack.
Why Confessions Trump Innocence written by Saul M. Kassin is a comprehensive article to help people understand why innocent people actually commit to crimes that they did not do. There are many example stories explaining different scenarios and how they went wrong with someone confessing to a crime that they did not commit. A known fact is that 25% of confessions are false, but there could very well be more. Some basic reasons for people committing crimes that they did not commit are to end the pain.
(III.3) Using a proper academic research process for an applicable discipline, find out if academics hold their opinions with Jacqueline Smith. Layout your research process, conclusion, and give the Works Cited documentation for your primary-interest source. What I know: I know that Smith is an African American who was displaced when the motel was repurposed. She also protests the racism present in Memphis.
For example, King states that intrusions into the body go beyond what is protected by the Fourth Amendment, as DNA analysis can reveal one's medical history, age, ethnicity, intelligence, and "propensity for violence and addiction". One is able to comprehend that King believed that his privacy interests outweighed the government's interests, as DNA tests can reveal private information that is not necessary to identify an individual and their prior crimes. Moreover, King considers the state's interest in decreasing crime rates, but argues that the government may only collect and analyze DNA of arrestees if they are convicted and if the collection would assist law enforcement in connecting the arrestee to the crime they were arrested for. The reader is able to identify that King states these two circumstances in order to implicitly convey that his situation is different and that the state has failed to show how DNA collection helps to solve crimes. Therefore, King effectively persuades the court by showing the significance of one's privacy over the interests of the
In King, Justice Kennedy referred to the invention of DNA technology as “one of the most significant scientific advancements of our era.” This statement has been criticized, but the impact of DNA technology has been significant. Currently, forensic analysts can use “junk” DNA to identify a person with near certainty. Law enforcement can collect a person’s DNA through saliva. The sample is then uploaded to CODIS, a national network of DNA databases.
One of the most accurate methods of connecting a suspect with a crime is through the use of DNA analysis. Even if no fingerprints are left behind at a robbery, for instance, a single strand of hair or skin cell from the thief can be used to positively identify a suspect. Conversely, if a suspect’s DNA does not match samples procured from a crime scene, the use of so-called “genetic fingerprinting” can exonerate, or clear, them. Concern over the issue of wrongful convictions, coupled with a sense of greater trust in DNA analysis over other, more conventional methods of prosecution, such as eyewitness testimony, has led some to call for mandatory DNA testing before any person begins serving a sentence for a serious crime, as well as
In America’s history, child labor was fiercely criticized. Many activists of child labor laws and women’s suffrage strived to introduce their own viewpoints to the country. Florence Kelley was a reformer who successfully changed the mindset of many Americans through her powerful and persuading arguments. Florence Kelley’s carefully crafted rhetoric strategies such as pathos, repetition, and sarcasm generates an effective and thought provoking tone that was in favor of women’s suffrage and child labor laws. Florence Kelley uses pathos continuously throughout her speech.
The case of Gareth Williams, an MI6 (British Secret Intelligence Service) agent specialized in decoding, was found decomposed and unclothed inside a sports bag in his bath, over a week of his death. Following over a year of investigating a potential DNA profile, the LGC realized that the profile was a contaminant and belonged to one of its forensic scientists, subsequently apologizing to the agent’s family for the typographical error (Anon, 2012). It was crucial to determine whether he was dead or alive when he was locked in the bag and if he could have padlocked himself in. Experts evidence exposed that it was highly improbable for him to have locked himself in the bag from the inside (Anon, 2012).
Judges, lawyers, and police officers have expressed that jurors have unrealistic expectations regarding the capabilities of crime labs and their ability to produce physical evidence. In 2006, 61% of law enforcement agencies indicated that they had insufficient storage capacity, funds, technology, staff, or space especially as it relates to DNA evidence . Durnal reports that in worst cases, evidence is completely ignored or left behind because there isn’t any room to properly store it. In addition, some accounts have suggested that this greater demand has contributed to the increasing number of DNA testing backlogs in crime labs all over the country. Police officers, investigators, and laboratory workers have admitted that they feel the pressure