QTPC #19 When the Levees Broke

(1)    Quotation: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” says Kanye West. I slightly remember hearing about this when it actually happened, but not enough to not feel shock when I heard it again. As much as I am in disbelief that someone would be so blunt, I think it was actually needed. Although Kanye is not known for staying in the background, he usually doesn’t cause enough effect to stir up politics, but in this case he probably did. Bush probably heard that and that forced him to take action. This quote helped the government realize that people need help, but I would hope black or white wouldn’t effect who they would help.

(2)    Talking Point: I was really interested in the refugee controversy. When I heard the media saying it I honestly didn’t think twice, but when I looked up the meaning of the word refugee which was, a person who flees for refuge or safety to a foreign country, they were exactly right. They were still in the same country, citizens in fact, and should not have been referred to as refugees.

(3)    Connection: Once again, I am reminded of Kozol in this documentary. A lot of different intervees, including the mayor, blamed a lot of the violence in New Orleans on the education system. They blame the poor buildings, the uncaring teachers, and the ill funding for the violence. Kozol would strongly agree with what these people are saying.

QTPC #18 When the Levees Broke

(1)    Quotation: One man said in an interview, “all political bs should go to the side,” in response to the slow reaction the government had to the devastation. Bush and the rest of the government were too caught up in the political aspect of the disaster instead of just helping those in need and I think that is very sad considering our government preaches about putting its people first. Prejudices should be out the window in a situation of this magnitude, giving the most help to those who need it should be first.

(2)    Talking Point: Finally when most people were in the airport leaving New Orleans, many different interviewees mentioned how there was little to no crime. Although not really surprising, it was a bit of a comfort to me. In a time when crime could be rampant, it wasn’t at all. People, instead, come together to help one another to get out of there. I like how people can be that way. That people can truly come together.

(3)    Connection: When people were describing how the military were splitting up people in lines of men, women, elderly, etc. it reminded me a lot of the Holocaust. I see no reason to split anyone up in a disaster like this. I mean doesn’t the military just want to get the people out no matter how it gets done? Splitting people into different lines seems worthless. A second connection I made was with Savage Inequalities.  Someone who was talking about Bush in an interview said that Bush didn’t immediately react because he thought the people left behind after the mandatory evacuation had no worth economically, politically, or racially. Kozol would be furious and would probably agree with this man’s statement.

QTPC #17 When the Levees Broke

(1) Quotation: A very emotional woman spoke about how she was stranded with her family and how she called 911. She couldn’t get through so she ended up calling the operator to help her connect but the operator said that 911 is not taking calls. This woman said, “I know they said that if you stay, we won’t help you,” but she just couldn’t believe that would really happen. I understand why the police or government said that though. They wanted people to have the incentive to leave. They wanted people to feel that they had to no choice other than to evacuate before the storm because otherwise they would just be left for dead. At the same time however, it was shocking that it was so bluntly said. I mean a lot of people just don’t have the funds to evacuate and to punish them for it is sad.

(2) Talking Point: What I have been noticing throughout this documentary is the closeness I feel to the victims and I think this is mainly due to the videos Spike Jonze was able to get. I mean there is a scene with a woman hanging on to her ceiling for her life because she can’t swim and there is a camera man capturing the rescue up-close and personally. Those scenes really make Katrina more real to the people, like me, who had not experienced it themselves.

(3) Connection: Today’s section seemed to really connect with Savage Inequalities. Thinking from Kozol’s point of view I think he would think that how the government helped the Katrina victims was racist. An African American man even said it, “[The police] go the white neighborhoods” and just left the poor and African Americans. I think he would also think that the evacuation was wrong because the government knows well that the majority of the people could not leave because of cost. This ended up leaving behind many African Americans and poor whites to venge for themselves during the storm.

QTPC #16 When the Levees Broke

(1)    Quotation: There was one interview with a mother who talked about how she can’t swim that well. She said that her daughter was a much better swimmer and if they were unlucky enough to be stranded in water, she told her daughter to not worry about her, to swim ahead to safety and the daughter responded with a statement like “Mom, I can’t just leave you.” That story really touched me. It made me feel awful because they could have been a very realistic situation. I could never imagine swimming away without helping my family, just had that daughter had thought, but as a mother all you want is for your children to be safe. That story made me feel very sad; it really made Hurricane Katrina more real to me.

(2) Talking Point: I am always really surprised to hear when people choose to stay despite an advised evacuation or mandatory evacuation. I understand that evacuating could be costly and I understand that it may be difficult to leave the life you know, the memories you’ve created, but isn’t safety everyone’s top priority? Isn’t keeping yourself and your family away from danger important? And not to mention Hurricane Katrina was the first mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, so I would think people would take this storm more seriously than most, but in the interviews the ones who stayed didn’t seem to understand the magnitude of the storm or didn’t bother to pay attention to the advisement.

(3)    Connection: In the interviews Hurricane Besty was mentioned quite a bit. Hurricane Besty was the worst hurricane to hit New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Besty was in 1965 at a category 4 storm. Hurricane Besty caused the most expensive damage in history to the United States (over a billion dollars). This hurricane did extensive damage mainly due to flooding. The levees had not held up, very similarly to Hurricane Katrina.

QTPC #15 Savage Inequalities

(1)    Quotation: “No, you can’t be a lawyer…Look for an easier job.” This quote was said by a counselor to a seventeen year old on page 155. This quote really saddened me. Just because you go to a poor school doesn’t mean you can’t rise above it. A councilor should be encouraging a student to pursue their dreams no matter the circumstances of their life. This girl left feeling upset rather than encouraged. That is exactly the opposite of what a councilor is there for.

(2)    Talking Point: As I read this book, I can’t help to ultimately disagree with the author. Over and over again Kozol is hitting us in the head with the idea that schools in the United States are segregated mainly because of race. I can’t say I 100 percent disagree, but I think the bigger issue comes from the home of the students. On page 164 Kozol writes that “parents in Princeton raised $187,000- from outside sources” for their children’s school. Kozol also quotes someone on page 170 who says, “Putting more money into the poor districts won’t change anything…Money is not the answer…It has to begin in the home.” Yes the school in Princeton is better than most, but as clearly shown, parents play a huge role in that. Education begins at home, the government can’t change that.

(3)    Connection: I recently attended a lecture given by the Latino writer, Helana Viramontes. As an introduction to herself, she speaks about her childhood in East Los Angeles. She says her side of town was directly cut off from the rest of Los Angeles with an expressway, isolating her predominant Latino town. I was reminded of this when Kozol writes, “…the city of Chicago purposely constructed the high-speed Dan Ryan Expressway in such a way as to cut off the section of the city in which housing projects for black people had been built.”

Extra Credit

Helana Viramontes gave a lecture today, October 8, 2009, on how her work is influenced by her background, which translates into her political views today.

(1) Quotation: “If we don’t embrace difference and open our minds, we will all be screwed.” Helena Viramontes said this while speaking of the importance of integration in our society. She feels that society today is very close-minded when accepting others and that rather than point out the differences in others, we must embrace it. I agree, everyone should be more open-minded. Close mindedness masks you from seeing other parts of the world, from experiencing a different culture outside your own.

(2) Talking Point: When Helena was reading from her novel Under the Feet of Jesus, she spoke about how language should be enough without violence. What she said really touched me. People’s ignorance causes frustration which, for the most part, causes violence. People’s ignorance and close-mindedness frustrates those who need to be heard. Violence should never be the answer when trying to get others to hear you, but I understand when it is the only way. This aspect of society needs to be looked at. Listening needs to utilized more.

(3) Connection: To no surprise, this lecture reminded me a lot of Savage Inequalities. When speaking of her background, Helana talks about her life growing up in East Los Angeles. She mentions its segregation, poor schools, and violence just as Savage Inequalities does, but despite all of that she was able to graduate high school and college. I think this just shows you that you may grow up in a town like East LA, with very little money and all the statistics against you, but still come out to be very successful. It is possible and I think Savage Inequalities over-looks that.

QTPC #14 Savage Inequalities

(1)    Quotation: On page 128 a student says, “Someone else can’t want a good life for you. You have got to want it for yourself.” This quote sums up my thoughts exactly. I feel very sorry for the kids who have to attend the poor, very inadequate schools of inner cities, but I feel at the same time, you must look around you and want to want something different. I think these kids may start off with an extreme, extreme disable, but I feel that should give them a significant amount of determination to want something more. This motivation, I think, can certainly strive past someone’s who has had a lot more given to them on a silver platter.

(2)    Talking Point: Between the pages of 125 and 130, eleventh and twelfth graders are talking with Kozol about the present public education problems. One quote heard many times by many different students was some form of, “I don’t see how that benefits me.” I was shocked when I heard this. First because of its out-right honesty. Someone may indeed think that, and I can’t say that I wouldn’t, but to be so flat out honest about it was surprising. Secondly, I also think, how selfish can you be? These students don’t understand how well they have it in comparison to other schools like East St. Louis High. The other students don’t have any benefits at all going to the schools they go to and these wealthier students just want all the benefits for themselves.

(3)    Connection: I always knew my mom went to a poorer school, but this book inspired me to ask her more questions about it. My mom grew up in East Chicago and went to Washington High School. She said her school was in very poor condition. They had leaks and holes and under equipped labs, but she said this did not hinder her performance in school. She thinks that parents are the strongest influence in their child’s education. My mom’s parents had expectations of her, which she felt forced to live up to. Her family had standards like college, which she went to and graduated. Although her school may have under prepared her for the college curriculums, she was able to go despite the odds against her, and she says this is due to her family.

QTPC #13 Savage Inequalities

(1) Quotation: “The narrative begins when, without warning, Smokey says, ‘My sister has got killed.’” (page 13) That story was truly heart-breaking. Immediately it’s hard to hear that anyone’s family member has died, let alone murdered, but what was really heartbreaking to me was the fact that Smokey told that story so nonchalantly. His sister’s death for him seems to be an accepted part of life. If something like that were to happen to me, I would be absolutely devastated and I know I wouldn’t be able to talk so calmly about it. Maybe it has to do with his age? Maybe he doesn’t fully understand the magnitude at which his sister died, but I doubt that. I think that death is death and if you can understand what the details were going into the murder like Smokey does, you can understand it was truly horrific.

(2) Talking Point: While reading these two chapters, I of course felt sympathy for the children who must attend these schools and therefore, have a very hard future, but I couldn’t help but think about how it’s not so much the schools fault as it is the parents. Yes, most of the parents grew up in the same environment their children are and don’t know much different, but I think that would help them to realize how they need to prevent their children from ending up like them. On page 24 Governor Thompson says, “East St. Louis residents must help themselves.” To a degree, I agree with this statement. To move to a better future, you must strive for that future. On page 23 Kozol writes, “A second black mayor, elected in 1979, remained in office till 1991.” It was obviously clear that that mayor did not help the community at all, probably even hindered its development for betterment. So why was he in office for so long? The voters, which are the parents, are to blame. Why don’t they realize a change is needed? Or they realize a change is needed, but decide to not do anything about it? That shocked me. The parents of these communities, I think, need to step up their game along with the schools.

(3) Connection: I think an obvious connection this book makes you think of is your own school, how education has influenced you. My up-bringing could not even relatively compare to students of East St. Louis or Chicago. I was very blessed in that I went to a very good public school. I can not even imagine going to schools like East Louis High. It saddens me to know that some people have no other choice

QTPC #12

(1) Quotation: “The crony insisted that his white friend was playing.” (page 65) Although this quote did not surprise me, it is shocking just how real the apartheid is and how this quote proves it. The way people treated other people was awful. The crony knew exactly what happened, that the white man purposely burned the black man, but turned a blind eye. This quote is aided by a later quote on page 56 which was, “Sometimes the police and the security forces assist them in their raids of death and destruction…” The police are fully aware of what is going on and even help.

(2) Talking Point: On page 55 “Noria tells him that indeed all our deaths are senseless.” Noria recognizes how the current deaths are not for natural reasons, but for fun, for proving a point that whites are better than blacks. This quote is aided by another quote on page 56 when Noria says “…[they killed him] for the sole reason that he was a country bumpkin.” It’s sad to see that they know what is going on, the senseless killings, but can’t do anything about it. They take it as a part of life.

(3) Connection: Toloki remembers on page 52 when he used to involve himself in many relationships with many different women, but can’t seem to remember them all now. What he does remember, however, are the screams, the moans, the breathless sounds. This anecdote from Toloki reminded me very much of David Lurie. Seeing sex as fun, not of romance or love. I also believe that David would feel the same. I doubt he remembers every face, every name, but remembers the emotions, the screams.

QTPC #11 Disgrace

(1) Quotation: David says on page 209, “Lucy may be able to bend to the tempest; he cannot, not with honour.” I think David is finally realizing his faults, realizing what is wrong with this idea or system of conforming. I think through this character and this character’s realization, Coetzee is saying that it is time to speak out against what is wrong (which is the apartheid). It is time to end what everyone knows is wrong but are just too afraid to stand up to it. It is time to regain your honor.

(2) Talking Point: On page 194 Melanie’s boyfriend says, “Stay with your own kind.” I think this quote strongly supports Coetzee’s theme in this book. When I read it it really stuck out to me. Own kind? Isn’t everyone equal? This quote really emphasizes what is going on in Africa during the apartheid. Everyone is put in a class or group and can’t even consider stepping out of it.

(3) Connection: Lurie ends up regularly volunteering at the clinic and in his line of work he helps in the “killing” of dogs. This systematic “killing” reminds me a lot of the Holocaust. The way they pick the weak or what they believe is the unworthy to be put to sleep. The way they know it is wrong, as many of the Nazi workers did, but do it anyway because they believe it just has to get done. The dogs have no say in their lives as did the Jews.

1. When David goes back to Cape Town, he is hated, like the man who was a leader in some apartheid killings. He will forever be looked at differently no matter what he does to try and change it. All they can hope for is the respect enough from the people of Cape Town to be able to live there.

2. After the apartheid, many problems still remained including the racial tensions. Now, many whites are feeling the repression because the government is trying to give back to the blacks what they had taken away. I think this is different than the segregation the US went through because I don’t think the whites felt segregation after segregation ended in the 1960’s. The United States went through a much slower ease of racial tensions, at the expense of the blacks, than South Africa which was a lot more immediate, which is an expense on the whites.