Reaction to SAVAGE INEQUALITIES

          Everywhere around you, you might see some certain discrimination going on all around you.  You see some young children playing a game, and they might not let another child play because "they do not look the same."  You also see how women get paid less in some areas of work, doing the same amount of work as males.  Discrimination is all around you, even if it is not as noticeable as it once was.  In this case, the urban areas are being discriminated against the suburban areas; the school districts as well as the students are being affected by it.

     In Savage Inequalities, Kozol examines six cities where he finds common problems; he finds discrimination towards the education of the less fortunate.  Kozol≠s main argument focuses on the impression that the government does not provide enough funding for the schooling of poor children; but is generous with giving away money to the school districts in the suburban areas.  The suburban areas would receive all new computers, new texts books, all these "luxuries", needed or not. The urban areas are stuck using books that are falling apart, and also in some cases, have to share the book.  Urban area school districts sometimes have guards in the lobby patrolling, over crowded classrooms.  I feel that is no environment for children to learn. 

I call the school I went to for elementary school "semi-urban."  It is in a suburban area so to speak, but does get treated like an urban school.  When I attending the school, we had no white paper, we would need to cut erasers in two pieces to use.  Our worksheets were copied on legal sized florescent paper.  With the white and yellow lined papers, we were not allowed to take more than two pieces for a lesson because there was a limited supply.  We had to share books; some of the books were even taped together.  All out extracurricular activities and classes were gone, we could not afford it.  Our situation was different because our town voted against the budget, but it felt the same while reading the book.  It made me feel like no one cared about our education because we were not able to get everything we need to learn best to our capabilities. 

I enjoyed reading the book because it pointed out great points that I have not even noticed can still go on in school districts.  It made me realize that the government should be fairer to the urban areas.  The two types of areas need to be more equal.  It is not fair that the wealthier people can get everything handed to them on a silver platter.  Their rich, if they want their children to get all these luxuries, they should work for it.  Either pay for it them selves, or help with fundraisers and try to raise the money on their own.  I am sure if the urban areas had more support they would feel that they were able to do something like that and work hard to raise money by them selves to pay for all the luxuries they need to learn in the classroom.  

I still feel that discrimination is something that everyone should work on as a group to get rid of.  There is no need for discrimination in today≠s world, even though it is something that will probably remain in it longer than any of us.  You will still see those little children playing a game leaving that one child out.  Women will still get paid less for doing a job at the same level as a man, and most likely better.  It is not fair, but not many things in this world today are.