I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article. I thought the way that Kozol wrote the article made it engaging and he delivered some pretty serious, "uncomfortable" topics in a way that made it appealing. For example discussing the different homicides like the example of the mother who was holding her child and was shot and the child suffered from a gunshot in the stomach as well. After I read that I was so engaged. I learned that on the same street there had been many more homicides. I think it was very interesting how Kozol emphasized the connection of drugs, homicides, and suicides to the area in which surrounds it all. I especially liked how there was the mention of the rural area of Mississippi having similarities to New York City. Two completely different demographic areas both suffer from common problems like drug use and the income imbalance.
I was incredibly moved with the story about the boy shot in the head in the park. To recognize his death people hung teddy bears from the trees. What touched me was how when he was talking to the boy about what the teddy bears stood for he completely removed his emotion and even avoided the conversation by changing the subject.
Another thing that really touched me was the conversation about the waste incinerator. When asked if she was insulted about the placement of the incinerator she said ""It used to," she replies. "The truth is, you get used to the ofTense. There's trashy things all over. There's a garbage dump three blocks away. Then there's all the trucks that come through stinking up the air, heading for the Hunts Point Market. Drivers get their drugs there and their prostitutes." This bothered me why should anyone get used to being associated with "trashy".
This article was very unique. But what stays with me is the different stories of homicides that occurred and the removal of emotion and how people dismiss things that are important and should not necessarily be dismissed.
Side note: this may not be completely appropriate... but in regards to suicide the most significant thought I had throughout this entire article is "Gosh would I wanna live like this or would I just wanna die?" If I was diagnosed with AIDS and knew my death was inevitable (after reading about those stories) would I want to kill myself??...
Our class discussion focused on how these two articles reveal that social systems, not individual will or desire, are responsible for the opportunities and resources of different communities. For me, Johnsons' discussion of suicide does the same.
ReplyDeleteI was not present for the class discussion. But I would have to agree. Both articles reveal a strong argument that the opportunities all revolve around the social structures. For me seeing the emotion removed from discussing how a child was shot to death in the head was really moving for me. I mean I am sure your conversations revolved more about social and economical opportunities. But to me seeing this young child deprived of his life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness stuck with me. In the same article there was discussion about how the area that the waste incinerator was installed and how that area was full of "low life" "trashy" prostitutes and such.
ReplyDeleteJohnson's states "The solution to collective problems such as poverty or natural disasters, terrorism, then becomes a matter not of collective solutions but of an accumulation of individual solutions".... To add to your class discussion. This above statement defines why individuals do not have equal opportunities. Society and people are selfish and to eliminate higher powers and higher classes if you will, will require people to make sacrifices to level the field of opportunities, and that will just never happen...