y. Theresidents have shared assumptions about what thegovernment wants and expects from them. Thegovernment's attitude towards these people is such that theresidents feel devalued and not worthy of being seen orheard. Without much hope of financial stability, many haveturned to selling and/or using drugs. Selling drugs is seen asan easy way of making some money, and using drugs keepsa person on a high so they do not have to face reality. Thisjust continues the cycle of problems they face since sellingdrugs to others keeps those others high, and staying on adrug induced high only prolongs the problems.Discussion and Recommendations Because of all the trials and tribulations they go through, youwould think that everyone in thiscommunity would lose hope. This is not true for many of thechildren that Jonathan Kozol talked to andbecame friends with on his many journeys into theirneighborhood. The children speak of their problemswith great maturity. Many of these children are far olderthan their years on Earth, for they have felttrue abandonment by our nation. Many of the issues theyhave had to deal with are not ones which wethink of as children's issues. AIDS, for example, is notsomething that many think of as an issue thatchildren talk about or even think about. For the children ofthe South Bronx though, it is a majorissue. With "one-fourth of the child-bearing women in theneighborhoods where these children livetesting positive for HIV," (Amazing Grace, inside cover)pediatric AIDS takes a high toll. The numbersof children who have had one or both parents die of AIDSin the South Bronx and surrounding areas is the highestamong the nation. If the government keeps sending the lowincome and troublesome families into these neighborhoods,"it is likely that entire blocks will soon be home to mourningorphans, many of whom will follow their own parents to anearly grave." (Amazing Grace,p. 194) The government's placement of a waste burn...
