JONATHAN KOZOL - AMAZING GRACE

PREMISE:

• poverty
• racism
• government
• disease
• drugs
• kids
• disillusionment
• dispair
• hatred
• power

AUTHOR'S ARGUMENT:
Kozol argues that the people with power and influence are ignoring that power and influence and by doing so ignore the needs of poverty stricken minorities in New York, herding them together like lepers when they should instead be helping them out.

EVIDENCE/COMMENTS

"The Number 6 train from Manhattan to the South Bronx makes nine stops in the 18 minute ride between East 59th street and Brook Avenue. When you enter the train, you are in the seventh richest congressional district in the nation. When you leave you are in the poorest."(3)
-This is an awesome introduction, this comparison is making the example that the poor and the rich have been compartmentalized and shows that physical location is not to blame for poverty.

"'If poor people behaved rationally,' says Lawrence Mead, a professor of political science at New York University, 'they would seldom remain poor for long in the first place.' Many social scientist today appear to hold this point of view and argue that the largest portion of the suffering poor people undergo has to be blamed upon their own 'behaviors' a word they tend to pluralize"(21)
-This shows an obvious connection to the oblivious nature of those with power. This scientist is basically making a prejudiced excuse to ignore the poor by blaming them for their situation, liberating himself and those with power from guilt and blame.

"'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 they they don't so they don't need to use it to help people - that's my idea of evil.'"(23)
-This is Kozol's argument summed up into one quote coming from a seven-year-old boy named Cliffie, this wisdom is as astounding as it is sad. It is sad because at seven years old, this boy has already been disillusioned from the hope and idealism that most seven year olds have. At seven years old, Cliffie has already lost his childhood.


This was definitely the best written excerpt that we have read so far in my opinion, It grabbed your attention right from the beginning. It brought across ways of thinking and insights to the reader in a creative and interesting way. And it in general, as far as i could tell, made logical points with little or no hypocritical statements or contradictions within the text.