I found Amazing Grace to be a phenomenal article that raises awareness about the issues of poverty. It included topics such as privilege, power, and predestination. It honestly broke my heart to read about the family that was destined to remain in poverty and realizing it is because we have created a society that keeps them from succeeding. The narrator of this article struggled while interviewing the family because of the hostility he received from the people that lived in Harlem. The child explains to the narrator; "I think they hate you because you are not in their condition, 'I am in hell and you are not so I hate you and I have to try to bring you down to where I am'" (Kozol 24). Most of these people seem to be completely aware of the problem of privilege and power. They know that the rich are the reason why they can't grow out of the poverty they are in. The rich are reluctant to help any of them because they know it will affect them financially. It is very difficult to grow out of poverty when those who do have the power are the ones keeping them down. The rich could find excuses and claim its a matter of jealousy or "they did not work hard enough in life" or "its their fault". However, many of those stuck in poverty have worked twice as hard to get out and still have yet to succeed. The poor want to bring the rich down not because they want them to suffer, but because its the only way for them to understand or to feel any compassion for them. They know that if the rich knew about their daily struggles they would feel sympathetic enough to help.
It is very difficult for the poor to fight for so long when most of them are sick with AIDS or suffer from addictions to drugs and alcohol. On top of everything, society makes it completely impossible for them to seek any medical attention. The mother of the family the author interviewed once spent three days in the emergency room and was never taken care of! "My doctor said it was right to leave because it isn't safe for me to be there with so many other people with infections" (Kozol 16). Not only do the rich neglect the suffering the poor go through, but they make it impossible to grow and get better care. The rich are scared that the poor are going to become richer so they continue to bring them down by limiting their money, food supply, and medical resources. By feeding them diseases and limiting the chances of them recovering, the rich are metaphorically sedating the poor and putting the blame on them; "its their fault; they asked for it".
"I believe that what the rich have done to the poor in this city is something 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's my idea of evil" (Kozol 23). The people in Harlem understand that the rich have the power but they refuse to shift their power to help those in need.
As I read more into Kozol's article I feel emotionally connected to the family he interviews. Why didn't anyone help them? How can the rich live with themselves knowing what kind of damage they are doing to others for their own personal benefit? How can we let this happen to our own kind?
This YouTube video is a clip of Malcolm X speaking about the "vicious cycle" of poverty. He addresses the issues of life in poor neighborhoods and the limitations the poor are set by the rich.
This image is a representation of the clustering and lack of space in the neighborhoods of Harlem. Large families are forced into these small apartments because those are the only homes they can afford. This image is a perfect example of how the rich control and limit the poor by making living conditions unbearable. They make it difficult to afford a place suitable for a family by making the other homes far too expensive.
Thank you for that link of Malcolm X speaking. His voice is so strong and resonant and what he says is a great connection to the reading.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that this article was heartbreaking to read. We always try to stay positive and think that those children have all the same opportunities that we do, but it is simply not true. There seems to be nothing working in favor of these kids and families, and that is such a sad fact to face.
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