East St Louis

As the review said on the the back, I was not ready for the horrors of this book or chapter. I was nearly brought to tears about three times. The first was when the children were talking about their sister that had gotten beaten to death, and that is for obvious reasons. The way I imagined it was as if they were immune to talking about it, which is something no child should be exposed to. Along with not knowing how to tell time, not knowing their little sister's real name, the pollution in the air slowly crippling the children almost leaving them hopeless and that saddened me. The second was when the football coach said, "The days of the tight money have arrived, and it don't look like Moses is coming." Had me in awe, the main quote that had me all choked up is, "This is my life. It isn't all I dreamed of and I tell myself sometimes that I might have accomplished more. But growing up in poverty rules out some avenues. You do the best you can." It had me think that people that live there are damn near hopeless, with no help, and can do nothing but accept the poverty. To think that's what a child grown into a man lives up to hurts my soul. Lastly, was when Kozol was talking to the principal, he explained what he would do if the money was granted to renovate the school, he then looks into his hands, laughs, and states "If I'm dreaming, why not dream the big dreams for our children." At this point my eyes watering up. He then receives a call from his wife about his house being robbed, but still remians composed, disciplined, and calm, as if it happened before. Although Kozol sees his body language as tense and sees the principal gripping his desk tightly, but still refraining himself from getting emotional. Tears subsided as I thought of a man holding composer in such troubling times. He is a man of means, one that young kids and adults look to and one that people critique as the cause for such a school but he can only do so much with so little. Simply to just imagine such pain, and hardship as a man I cannot imagine the pain on one's mentality of trying to hold it all together. I am so sorry good sir. 

 

The way East St. Louis was described it reminded me of Flint, Michigan. A land of promised jobs and history, East St. Louis being the city with the most railroads in the country at the time while Flint had General Motors being nearly all the income for the citizens and just gets up and leaves, leaving the city unemployed, and led into poverty. Jobs were promised in East St. Louis but were never produced. Power plants could be the primary source of jobs but the people of E.S.L. are not equipped with the proper education or have no education at all. Parents realize the education in ESL, and try to send them to the schools across the bridge but are not allowed due to "out of jurisdiction,"which also killed me to think for the parents that actually care about their kids know that their children's education is nearly being tarnished and that they are being literally taught how to work at a Mc Donalds or Taco Bell. Lastly, regardless of the schools being renovated, cared for and etc. The city is still forty million dollars in debt, along with the air, and soil being absolutely contaminated... The city is left for dead. I am so sorry, East St. Louis.