Talking Points #1 Kozol/Goldberg

Kozol-Amazing Grace

Argument: Kozol argues that the children and people living in Washington Heights, Harlem and South Bronx should have better quality of life.

Quotes:
1."Virtually every child at St. Ann's knows someone, a relative or neighbor, who has died of AIDS, and most children here know many others who are dying now of the disease."

This is so sad, but it is the truth. This quote shows that beside poverty these people are also suffering from some many disease and unfortunately the children are living and seeing all that suffering.

2. "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. Waiting in the waiting room with everybody else. Right there, in chairs, with all the other people who were waiting."

This is shocking, but not surprising. It is so sad that a human being is treated like that. Beside been sick these people have to experience more torture. There is no guarantee that once they get to the hospital they are going to feel better.

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."

I compared this quote to one of Delpit's aspects of "the culture of power," she said that "those with power are frequently least aware of." In this case, those people in need hardly receive help from those with power, instead the get help from people like themselves, poor and sick.


Point to Share: This article was easy to read and very interesting. I grew up in the Bronx and I used to live four blocks away from the Bronx Lebanon Hospital. My parents still live there and when I was in high school my first summer job was at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in the Cat Scan Dept. I saw how patients were treat, especially when they were HIV and AIDS. They were isolated in a room. It was very sad.

Goldberg-100 People

Argument: Goldberg argues that children have no interest in learning about their heritage.

Quotes:

1."There is a sense, within the Cuban schools, that one is working for a purpose and that that purpose is a great deal more profound and more important than selfish pleasure of an individual reward."

I think that Kozol wants to incorporate ideas from other cultures to help students become better ones.

2. "Teachers should talk to their students about the architect of the Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann, whose own preparation for obedient behavior, was received in German public schools which produced good Germans, or good citizens, as we in the Untied States would say."

In my opinion, I think that this quote is important because students learn better from other students' experiences.

3. "What will become of a country whose youngest have been taught to have so little affection for it."

I think that this quote is very important because whatever we teach to our children now is how they'll act in the future. If we teach them to love that's what they will give.


Comments: I think this article was a bit boring compared to Amazing Grace. I was confused when it mentioned Sol Stern; I don't know where he came from. However, I think that it was a interesting article because I could see two differents points of view, the conservative and liberal. I really like Goldberg' quote at the end.