Kozol Piece

Jonathan Kozol Amazing Grace Erika

Quotes:

• The 600,000 people who live here and the 450,000 people who live in Washington Heights and Harlem . . . make up one of the largest racially segregated concentrations of poor people in our nation. This quote sets up the article the author was illustrating the grave and unfair nature of the situation.
• . . . waste incinerator that was put in operation recently over the objections of the parents in the neighborhood. . . . initially scheduled to be built along the East Side of Manhattan, but the siting of a burner there had been successfully resisted by the parents of the area. This quote shows how people of power wield it over the poor and destitute. The will make others unsafe and uncomfortable for them to feel safe. This points out the injustice the rich are coming upon the poor, which is what the article is about.
• I believe that what the rich have done to the poor people in this city is something that a preacher could call evil. Somebody has power. Pretending that they don't so they don't need to use it to help people - that is my idea of evil. This sums up what is seen in this article. This boy said it so perfectly it needs no explanation.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

This was an extremely interesting read. The testimonials of Mrs. Washington were striking and the little boy was quite haunting. I thought i knew what poor was and what it was like, but this kind of poor is beyond my grasp. I cannot imagine living life in this way, being forced to live like this. How some people can say that it is the fault of the poor, that they are irrational and make bad choices is boggling. I cannot fathom anyone choosing that life. It is up to those with power and money to help these situations and advocate for people no one will listen to. Why hasn't the government done more?