Blog Post 2

Jonathan Kozol


Amazing Grace



"The pastor tells me that the place is known as "Children's Park." Volunteers arrive here twice a week to give out condoms and clean needles to addicted men and women, some of whom bring their children with them. The children play near the bears or on a jungle gym while their
mothers wait for needles." 

This quote caught my eye when reading Kozol's story. In the text Cliffie takes him for a walk throughout the city. They come upon a park that has teddy bears hanging from the tree. The park that is known as the "Childrens Park" isn't your typical park. Children go there to play while there parents are getting clean needles to do drugs and drink alcohol. To children who grew up in these poor neighborhoods it was normal for them to see.

"In this building? Including the children, maybe 27 people. That's just in this section. In the other building over there, there's maybe 20 more. Then there's lots of other people have it but don't know, afraid to know, and don't want to be tested. We're livin' in a bad time. What else can I say?"

This quote sums how unhealthy it was for anyone to live in the South Bronx. In just one building over twenty seven people were diagnosed with AIDS. That's doesn't account for the number of people who didn't know they had the disease. Many people were afraid to get tested because they didn't want to know if they were carrying the deadly disease.

I ask him what it is he thinks they hate in him.
"I think they hate you because you are not in their con­dition. 'I am in hell and you are not and so I hate you and I have to try to bring you down to where I am.' I feel pity for them, and fear, because they're lost.

This quote shows how lost people who lived in the South Bronx were at that time. They lived in a world that was so different from everywhere else. They hated people who were more privileged then them because they didn't have to go through what they did every single day. 



 
My comment- I can't believe people actually lived in an environment like the one in South Bronx. It was so sad to read about the conditions children and there families were living in. To be around diseases, drugs, and shootings everyday was so unfortunate to read about how many people lives were like that. 

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 21, 2018 at 5:23 PM

    So I read the other article instead of this one however I decided to read your response to some of the quotes. However in a way I am kind of happy that i did avoid this article. As I read some of the quotes you pulled out I couldn't help but saying WTF. Like seriously how is that first quote Okay. Instead of giving out clean needles and condoms give them help. Something...

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