Talking Points #1 on Kozol- Quotes

1.       “The time before, when I had a fever, my doctor said I had pneumonia. I waited in the emergency room two days to be admitted.”  (16)

In this quote, Kozol is talking with Mrs. Washington as she describes the conditions of the hospitals in the South Bronx. This quote resonated with me throughout the article because it truly depicted the life of the people living in these neighborhoods in New York. In more wealthy neighborhoods, people usually have to wait in the emergency room for a short amount of time. Having to wait in the emergency room for two days is absurd! Had Mrs. Washington actually needed serious medical attention in a quick manner, she most likely would not have survived. The living conditions for these people are extremely different from those that we are used to and truly depict the struggles that exist for those who are born into a life without wealth.

 

2.       ““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.” “ (21)

Kozol quotes Lawrence Mead and says that this idea “is a common point of view” held by many social scientists today. After stating this quote, Kozol tells the story of Mrs. Washington’s life. This quote is so significant because it shows how close-minded and ignorant people can be. Many people living in the South Bronx have no other choice but to live there because they cannot afford to live anywhere else. Mead puts the blame on poor people and says that they should be able to better their own lives. He does not realize the struggles that they face and how difficult it is to overcome these problems.

 

3.        “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.” (23)

Mrs. Washington’s son, David, tells Kozol that he believes that there is “still evil on earth.” He describes the struggle for power that exists in the world today. In order for the poor to have better lives, the wealthy needs to step in and help. People who have power need to use it for good instead of casting aside people who inconvenient them. While reading this quote, I thought of the articles that we read in class and how this relates to the struggle and existence of power.  Evil is being able to help someone, but choosing not to.