Amazing Grace/ Goldberg

Jonathan Kozol : Amazing Grace The lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation

What: I’m going to begin this blog with a quote that raises the whole issue of what Kozol is against. “ If poor people behaved rationally, says Lawrence Mead a professor of political science at New York University, they would seldom be poor for long in the first place.”(p21)
Jonathan Kozol argues that the poor people are not to blame for the situation they are in. He uses a story about people in New York as an example. He talks about all the horrible sites the children have to see everyday, parents doing cocaine and other drugs while some are suffering with HIV. Kozol argues that these children did not ask to be in the situation they are in. “In speaking of rates of homicide in New York City neighborhoods, the Times refers to the streets around St. Ann’s as the “the deadliest blocks” in the “the deadliest precinct” of the city If there is a deadlier place in the United States, I don’t know where it is.” (p.5). Kozol says this and it just paints a picture for me, a very sad picture actually. It saddens me to know that children are born into these conditions and the parents are addicted to drugs that once they are in the hole they just seem to dig themselves deeper. “I believe that we were put here for a purpose, but these people in the streets can’t see a purpose. There’s a whole world out there if you know it’s there, if you can see it. But they’re in a cage. They cannot see.”(p.24) Kozol also points out that the choices of the government have not helped the situation. “I don’t know how sick you have to be to qualify for SSI. My girlfriend died from AIDS in March. She never did get SSI. After she died, the checks began to come. Now they keep on coming. Her boyfriend cashes them each month. She’s dead!” ( p.20) Is this system flawed? Yes I think so!

So What? We need to do something about this. The conditions in New York which is Kozol’s example is not easy to believe it is real. An incinerator was put in against objections of parents that live in New York if that situation was to happen in a less poor area it most likely would not happen, since the area is too nice looking to have such an ugly and sickly incinerator put into your local area. The children are living in these conditions and didn’t ask to be put in those conditions. “Depression is common among children in Mott Haven. Many cry a great deal but cannot explain why.” If we can’t help these children I’m afraid the cycle will repeat itself.

Now what? After reading this article it makes me go back and wonder was I being selfish when I read Johnson’s thoughts? I still feel as though the people in the situation should try to help it which this article does show some points of New Yorkers struggling fighting for the right thing. “ 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.” (p23) I don’t necessarily seeing it as “evil” but I just think people feel as though they work so hard for their money why shouldn’t everyone else. It’s just situations like these where we need to recognize the problem and get the children out of these horrible conditions or the cycle will be forever repeating.

“Jonathan Kozol” -Goldberg
In this article Goldberg argues that teachers “trash” America. He argues that most teacher do not seem to be concerned with patriotism and with this I will quote “Far too many of today’s schools are violent, and far too many are filled with kids who don’t care much about learning. Yet, what may be even worse, and in the end even more dangerous, is that so many of today’s schools are turning out “smart” kids with little understanding of how precious their heritage is.” (p294)
However, Jonathan Kozol has written many books that preach how children should be taught. “Kozol is a fierce opponent of traditional learning, which he says deadens children’s souls. He believes that education cannot and should not be politically neutral.”(p294). Kozol says how the Cuban schools have been an influence to him he said “that one is working for a purpose and that that purpose is a great deal more profound and more important than the selfish pleasure of an individual reward.” (pgs 294-295)
I think what Goldberg is trying to say here is that teachers need to teach their students more about the American heritage than just your average text book material. “At the end of the book, Kozol thoughtfully provides a long list of left-wing publications and organizations-including the information agencies of the Chinese and Cuban governments-where teachers can get worthwhile classroom materials.” (p.295)
The closing of the piece Goldberg states that Kozol’s material are put into practice in grades preschool all the way to high school. Now that Kozol’s material is put into practice maybe the children in school’s will be more aware of their American heritage or wherever they may be from.