Amazing Grace blog

In his article "Amazing Grace", Jonathan Kozol introduces us to the terrible conditions people of color live in, in South Bronx, New York City. Precisely in Mott Haven. According to the pastor of St. Ann's Church "More than 95 percent of these people are poor, the poorest of the poor, poor by any standard I can think of."The author depicts the neighborhood as a vicious circle where children and adults are killed by diseases such AIDS and asthma, and guns. In reading the article, It seems like these people are caught up in a situation from which they cannot escape. Indeed, most of them have no jobs, no money, so how can they afford to move to better areas where they can raise their children. All they seem to know is do drugs and prostitute themselves. As if they want to commit suicide. I'm saying this because lots of people in Mott Haven got infected with the AIDS virus, and some died from drug overdose.
Passage of interest:
"Crack-cocaine addiction and the intravenous use of heroin, which children I have met here call "the needle drug," are woven into the texture of existence in Mott Haven. Nearly 4000 heroins injectors, many of whom are HIV-infected, live here."
These people are so poor that during winter, the city of New York has to help them keep warm by providing them with electric blankets and space heaters and sometimes sleeping bags.
People are murdered in this neighborhood like animals, and it looks like there is no hope of the situation getting better in the future, because children and adults get killed on a regular basis. On page 5, the author writes "In 1991, 84 people , more than half of whom were 21 or younger, were murdered in the precinct. A year later ten people were shot dead...., where many of the children I have come to know reside. On Valentine's Day of 1993, three more children and three adults were shot dead on the living room floor of an apartment...."
Faced with misery, hardships, the only thing that people in this area cling to is their church, called St. Ann, where they go to get food and comfort.
Mott Haven is considered as the "deadliest precinct" of the city of New York. How in God's name can anybody raise their children in such a dangerous area? I'm sure it's not with pleasure that people live here. It's just that they cannot afford to move to safer, better neighborhoods. And the city is not helping by installing a waste incinerator and garbage dump in the area. Because like Cliffie's mother says on page 10 "The point is that they put a lot of things into our neighborhood that no one wants,... The waste incinerator is just one more lovely way of showing their affection....There is trashy things all over." The situation is so desperate that David, a resident of this part of the city doubts about God's power and if he really exists. He says"I wonder how powerful God is. He must be wise and powerful to make the animals and trees and give man organs and a brain to build complex machineries, but He is not powerful enough to stop the evil on the earth, to change the hearts of the people." And David goes on by blaming rich people for not helping the poor ones better their lives.
My opinion is that anybody has the opportunity to succeed in our society, or at least make their lives better, provided they give themselves the means to do so. Just play by the rules and work hard and you can make it. The following are some suggestions: get an education to land a decent job, create a business like Chris Garner, the character that actor Will Smith played in the movie:"The pursuit of Happiness." In fact, the movie tells the story of a black man who was poor and became wealthy over time, by working really hard. Or play some sport and become a star like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, etc. I agree with political science professor Lawrence Mead, when he states "If poor people behaved rationally, they would seldom be poor for long in the first place."