Incredible Grace By Amazing Grace - 1078 Words

In today’s society, one takes their childhood journey towards where they stand today. Amazing Grace demonstrates this to examine a child’s perspective living in the neighborhoods of New York City that exist around them. Although, these families try to support their children, some families are in distress, since they have a low income status. However, they still can attain the important life skills, which will enhance and benefit them as they later develop. As a result, these apparent life skills may lead them in the right direction, despite how these difficult circumstances that truly affect them. Thus Kozol creates the overall image of children as innocent. Amazing Grace explores the innocence of children who are born in a society of†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, in Amazing Grace, obtaining real jobs was not common. A personal experience is related from the story: A person who works in a real job at a place like Chemical Bank, she tells me, is a rare exception in the neighborhood. â€Å"Almost no one here has jobs like that. Some are too sick. They live on SSI. (Kozol 14) Social Security is another form of income that a family can receive. Families use this as a solution in order to keep on living. The pursuit to land a quality job is not seen as an advanced option, considering the chances of getting such a job is highly unlikely. Instead, families must take one day at a time. Drugs also play a large factor. Children are always put at risk in the neighborhoods of New York City. Not to mention, drugs are heavily used: â€Å"Crack-cocaine addiction and the intravenous use of heroin, which children I have met here call â€Å"the needle drug,† are woven into the texture of existence in Mott Haven. Nearly 4,000 heroin injectors, many of whom are HIV-infected, live here† (Kozol 4). Drugs are a part of their culture and they cannot do anything about that. They will be surrounded by it, but do not understand why it is there. Drugs are dangerous and should not be seen by the eyes of children. Also, all children in this neighborhood an aware of people having AIDS, since many heroin users are HIV-infected. HIV infection leading to AIDS has been a major cause of death and illness amongst children, teens,