The reading I read this week was "Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Kozol. I have picked three quotes fro this text to talk about they're relevance and meanings.
My first quote is "Depression is common among children in Mott Haven. Many cry a great deal but cannot explain exactly why. Fear and anxiety are common. Many cannot sleep. Asthma is the most common illness among children here. Many have to struggle to take in a good deep breath." This quote stood out to me because I feel for these kids. Most of the kids in Mott Haven have serious problems that need help to get better, and it seems they do not have the support here that they need to feel better. I can also personally relate, as a child growing up, I had major anxiety, so I know how it feels to physically want help, and I can't imagine not being able to get it properly.
The next quote, is a quote said from a father in the text. "'You just cover up...and hope you wake up the next morning,' says a father of four children, one of them an infant one month old, as they prepare to climb into their sleeping bags in hats and coats on a December night." I cannot imagine how this father is feeling. Most of us are very lucky and privileged to be able to sleep in a nice warm bed. These children do not get to experience that, they have to wear their winter clothes to bed, which is not even a bed.
The last quote is "A small and wiry women wearing blue jeans and a baseball cap, a former cocaine addict who now helps addicted women and their children, she tells me that more than 3,000 homeless families have been relocated by the city in this neighborhood during the past few years..." While reading through this section of the reading, all I could think about is how amazing this woman is, she took her pain and used it again her addiction. She knew she had to change, and now she's even helping others change.
I chose this picture because its showing that not every economy is equal.
Point to be shared in class: The whole time reading this, all I could think about is how no one truly knows what others are going through and the life styles of other people. You never know if a child doesn't have access to good health, or a bed, or a warm home. You should always be thankful for what you have.
The quote about 'hoping to wake up the next morning' stuck with me too because it's saddening that their basic wish is to just survive another day.
ReplyDeleteThe "hoping to wake up the next morning" line is terrifying. The idea that you have virtually zero control over whether you or your children freeze to death every night, and that every time you go to sleep you have to grapple with the knowledge you could wake up tomorrow and have one of your children gone is horrific.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about the third quote. I'm sure what this woman went through was unimaginable to us, but I am glad that her situation made her into such a strong, wise person. However, no one should be placed in a situation where they feel addiction is the answer in the first place. You're right, nobody ever truly knows what others are going through.
ReplyDeletePeople should acknowledge and be thankful for what they have. Many people ignore or actively tarnish the unforunate and continue to make their lives harder while the people of wealth obtain the privileges from this social injustice.
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