Soph's blog:)

     In Amazing Grace Kozol explores the lives and experiences of several varied individuals living in South Bronx, he argues that the suffering happening within the highly segregated and poorest district in the country is not the fault of those who live there but the system as a whole.       Because of the living conditions within South Bronx, with extreme rates of AIDS, horrible living conditions and prevalent drug use, it is impossible for many to escape their situations. This is only made worse by the city's relocation of a large homeless population to the area or the installation of a medical incinerator that residents oppose.  Even when people win opportunities in this place, because of the difficulties they are facing they often don't come to fruition, such as the man that got a college scholarship but was an addict and died before he could act upon it. In turn this results in an overall feeling of resignation in the people living in these...

            Throughout Johnson's writings on the intricacies of privilege, power and differences the theme of our theoretical capability for decency arises several times. One such example is included above, wherein Johnson brings up the contradictory aspect of inequality, although we are extremely social creatures we find that many struggle to respect others that differ from the preconceived "norm." "The hard and simple truth is that the 'we' that's in trouble is all of us--not just straight white middle- and upper-class makes--and it will take all of at least most of us to get us out of it"   (Alan Johnson, Privilege Power and Difference , 9) .           I find the above quote and its following sentences to be particularly important as Johnson expands on the idea that issues of inequality or prejudice or privilege are not contained within the minorities effected by them. Instead, all groups are effected by one anothe...