The Criminal Justice System Essay

Submitted By Karl-Archinal
Words: 594
Pages: 3

Archinal; a surname that doesn’t saunter its way to American ears very often. Maybe the reason is because I’m currently the sole inhabitant here of this generation. Definitely a statistic I take with pride. My family, putting the “fun” in dysfunctional since the middle-ages, has a more recent history of both staying in Germany, and having a few select individuals immigrating here. For example, one of my not-too-distant ancestors fought in the American Civil War for the Union. His name was William J. Archinal, and he received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Vicksburg. On May 22, 1863, during the campaign to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi, he participated in an assault on Confederate positions that was considered a "forlorn hope", meaning the soldiers taking part in it would have little chance of surviving. William, who happened to be a Corporal, was indeed one of a relatively small number of men to escape alive. Fifty-three of the survivors were eventually awarded the Medal of Honor for their participation, including William and eight other members of his company. This alone gives me immense pride for my last name. It’s definitely a satisfying feeling to know that one of your ancestors may have slightly changed American history.
Another semi-important figure that bears Archinal as their last name is Brent Archinal. Brent is currently a research geodesist (which is the branch of science that deals with the measurement and representation of the earth, in a three-dimensional time-varying space) at the U.S. Astrogeology Science Center. Some of his honors include having an extrasolar planet named after him because of his PhD thesis, being a member of the Mars Exploration Rover Science Team, and chairman of the Planetary Science Institute. My self-esteem towards career choices as well as my daily life, is increased because of the awe-inspiring actions some members of my family (including immediate and distant) have performed.
My first name, Karl, is also relatively uncommon in America. The origin resides in Deutschland and has the literal meaning of “man” or “husband”. In older German texts and throughout the middle ages, the name Karl signified one who was of royal or imperial descent. Coinciding with these facts, the Archinal family during the 1400’s and 1500’s, was a relatively wealthy