talking point 1

Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol

1. ""were your parents mad?" He looked surprised by this. "why would they be mad?" he asks. "God told us, 'Share'"

This conversation between the narrator and the little boy, Cliffie really got me thinking. Cliffie's family was very poor and didn't have much food or money. Cliffie went to get three pieces of pizza, one for him, one for his mom. and one for his dad. On his way home he saw a poor man who was hungry and he gave him some of his pizza. When asked if his parents were mad about giving away their pizza he said no because they are sent to share by God. Even though he has very little he still is so positive and tries to help others who are even worse off than he is. This was s o inspiring to me; people may be so poor and still be positive about it.

2. "I was offended but i was also blessed. I took the two chairs."

This quote was taking place when they were talking about the illegal dumpers. People would just dump their trash on the street and people would take it. When this woman explained that she found a brand new set of table and chairs and took it, it really made me feel for the people who live like this. She explained that she did feel offended that people were giving her their trash and that this is as much as she was worth. However she also realizes the situation that she is and to get things like that she is blessed. This really just made me feel for the people who have to live in these situations and that they get "blessed" with someone else's trash.

3. "She told me, 'I aint waitin' for the law.' In less than 48 hours he was dead...I hate to say it but he got what he deserved."

Here in this passage it was discussing a man who was killed by the grandmother of a girl that he raped and gave AIDS. The man was the mother of the little girl's boyfriend. The mother died 6 months earlier and then the boyfriend raped the girl and gave her AIDS. She then dies and the grandmother wanted revenge. She made me notice that the police are usually not involved in such cases, and when they eventually do its too late. The grandmother didn't want to wait until the police got involved and she took matters into her own hands; which seemingly happens a lot.

All of these stories really made me sad and feel terrible that people have to live in these environments. The author really brought a lot of heartfelt stories to prove the points he was trying to get across. There were stories of poverty and not having money for food. There were stories about not having good or manageable living environments. In the winters there is no heat and the people living in poverty have to try and survive. There are some efforts to help them like providing portable heaters or electric blankets; and when that wasn't possible they supplied sleeping bags. In the summer it was always too hot and people were losing their energy left and right. The children would even hang out the windows to catch a breeze. Then there were stories about the unclean and unsanitary health care and lack there of. Drugs are a huge part of the everyday life for the people living and growing up in these environments.

Deaths were very common in almost every family, and if someone in your family hadn't passed away there was a large percent chance that you would have at least known someone who has. Though there are so many struggles with living in poverty, people still manage to stay positive and at least try to better themselves. Reading this article really helped me to understand what some of these people have to go through and that they are trying to get rid of the lives they are destined for and make a better life for themselves.