Sunday, September 13, 2015

U.S.A, Land of Limitations? Nicholas Kristof

Where you're born and how you live effects you for the rest of your life..

Kristof is definitely arguing that in his article He discusses his friend and how intelligent and kind his friend is, yet his friend was doomed from the start. 

Kristof discusses his friend who was born in a broken home. He had an alcoholic, absentee father, a poor household, and a school that did not recognize his attention deficit disorder. The man grew up to drop out of high school, was arrested over thirty times and became almost alcoholic at one point of his life. Yet, Kristof says that this man is one of the best men he's ever known.

So, what hurt him?

Kristof claims that where his friend grew up started the slippery slope of the rest of this man's life. The reason so many children grow up into adults with higher criminal records and less education is because the world they grow up in does not allow them to thrive and grow past their roots. Kristof's argument is that you can't expect short parents to have tall kids. If a child grows up in a household that does not know the code of the powerful culture, that child cannot learn how to understand that culture. They don't have the means to live the "successful" life that society tells them they should. They grow up in poverty and continue the trend in their lives. 

I don't think Kristof means to say so harshly that his friend was doomed from the start or anything like that. I think he just meant that his friend's situation growing up certainly didn't help him in anyway. As uncomfortable as it is, I can't really seem to find myself disagreeing with it. I agree with Kristof that those people that claim to have worked from the bottom up definitely have had luck on their side because for a lot, it won't always be possible. I really wish I could disagree with him though.

4 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading on what you had to say. I do agree with you with what you are saying.

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  2. I really liked the way you summarized the article and still gave your opinion. I also agree with you when you say that sometimes those who "made it" were lucky.

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  3. I felt the same way about Kristof's remarks that America has become a society with more rigid classes. I've felt that same disappointment though about all the readings we've done so far.

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  4. I liked the fact that you set up Kristof's argument very swiftly yet precisely. I like how you exaggerated on his words and ideas. I like how you hinted at Delpit's idea of The Power Culture and the idea that when you don't have the tools to succeed because of your birth class, then you more then likely won't succeed.

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