Assignment 1

Brian Grindle

August 19, 2012

Professor Benton

ENG 102 MW

            Terrorism is a theme word used by Michael Ryan in his work called “Summary: Theory for Beginners”.  In his writing, Michael divides his work in to 15 sub categories that are called 1- Culture is nature, 2-Words make things, 3- We know what we know, 4-Learn Arabic, 5- Reality is a fabrication, Not all stories are true, 7- Power is belief, 8- You are not who you think you are, 9- You have to learn to be yourself, 10- Capitalism isx bad for you, 11- Effects are sometimes causes, 12- Identity is difference- and is therefore contingent, 13-We all live in the past, 14- The world is all there is, and 15- Nature is culture.  All of these separate parts of his writing show a specific cause and effect such as in section two on page 162 that says we associate the word terrorism with violence in the group of Islamic radicals.  He states that the word we presume is meant for Islamic people, but the culture is not all bad.  They have a charity called Islamic Relief.  The group “strives to alleviate the suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease worldwide without regard to color, race, 9or creed and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner” (Ryan 163).  What Michael is trying to show is that the Islamic culture is not all “bad” as some people make them out to be.  They care for one another and other people as well.  They have some bad sects like any culture does, but we presume that all of them are bad.  Another presumption is the abbreviation hood.  Most people presume it is talking about a bad, shanty location where people live, but it is an abbreviation for any neighborhood.  Most people here in America presume it is talking about a shanty location that is full of poor people and drugs.  Again, this is how the mental aspect of humans can take over.