Sunday, January 31, 2016

U.S.A., Land of Limitations? 
Nicholas Kristof 
August 8,2015

    This author argues that there isn't any truth in saying that we are living in a land of opportunities because there's limitations put on some lives right from the beginning. I believe Kristof's main point was to address the problem that not enough focus is on this issue of limitations. He states a couple times,"Now, that's what the presidential candidates should be discussing". (Kristof) He's making the point that as a nation we are focusing and going back and forth on things that are not particularly what we should be focusing a lot of our time on. There's the big problem of poverty, as well as many other things but Kristof believes that poverty isn't at the top of the list of things that need to be addressed and worked on. The people who have the power to address the issue are not usually part of the low income class and don't feel the need to do anything about it because they are not witnessing nor are they suffering therefore isn't an problem for them. 
     Kristof also talks about how being brought into and raised by certain families and their standings, will affect the kind of limitations that child will have on their lives. "A child born in the bottom quintile of incomes in the United States has only a 4 percent chance of rising to the top quintile, according to a Pew Study."(Kristof) In different parts of the world, the percentages change but are still low. Children who are born into a family of low income is shown/said to have a life where they never make it to earn more than their parents and end up still in with low income. I agree with was Kristof is saying because if someone is brought up and raised in an environment where they become comfortable with for example, drugs and alcohol, they are more than likely to follow in the same path. Not a lot of people in theses types of situations are able to get out. Like Kristof says, "It happens, but not often."I believe that anyone can get out of a bad situation, it just takes that person to be motivated to become better,and go farther.  
    Kristof mentions one of his old friends, Rick Goff and how he struggled with limitations he had on his life. From how Kristof talks about Rick, I picked up that he was a smart and hard working male who grew up not being able to really show he's talents due to the limitations put on him. This connected to his argument that some children have limitations put on them from the beginning. Rick Goff wasn't born into a high income home, therefore always struggled to make it higher in life. 
    Overall, I saw Kristof's point as not everyone is given a fair shot at opportunities because it's being based off where they come from and not from who they are.

Questions/ Comments / Points to Share: 
I believe that this is such a big problem that is still going on now and will still go in the future. There are people who believe strongly that your past shapes your future and you have nothing to do with it and you will follow that path. Even though it doesn't happen as often as it should, people do try and become better than what they are born into. Everyone is said to be born with a clean slate but is that really what happens? 


Cartoon

I think this cartoon shows that this issue isn't going to go away in the future. People of higher problem will keep ignoring the problem and the number of people suffering from poverty will just keep increasing. 

7 comments:

  1. I agree. But from my view, a person is not just based on what they come from or the way they lived their whole lives. I believe that it depends on the person who determines how they live. There are records where people come from a poverty area but grow up to be something bigger than what they expect. The only way how is to surround themselves with people of encouragement. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in a poverty area but I feel like the people who do just need a push to be better and become someone they never thought they would.

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  2. That cartoon is so true. It shows that nothing is being done about poverty. I agree with what you said as your last sentence ("Overall, I saw Kristof's point as not everyone is given a fair shot at opportunities because it's being based off where they come from and not from who they are."). Opportunities are based off of where people come from (income levels) and not from who they are and what they can do/potentially do. Money basically controls everything. A child could love science and grow up to want to become a doctor, but if their family has low income, then the chances of them becoming a doctor and paying for further education is slim. Kamryn states that "it depends on the person who determines how they live". The child wanting to be a doctor could overcome the hurdle and take out loans to get their degree and not let the fact that the family has low income affect their life choices. It's basically all in what they put into it.

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  3. I agree with what you said and it is important that people realize that just because somebody comes from a lower income family does not mean that they are not incapable of great things. Just because they may not be able to afford school on their own, doesn't mean they can't take out a loan.

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  5. The question that you put at the end about everyone starting with a clean slate is something I completely agree with. No matter what anyone says, no one ever starts with a clean slate. I believe that people are a product of their environment, and if you come from a tough environment, your slate isn't going to be too "clean".

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  6. I agree with what you said and what the cartoon is saying. People who come from a higher "ranking" are going to ignore the problems for people that are below them. I agree that people think their past shapes their future when it truly doesn't. People are just lazy and do not want to put the effort into making their future what they want, instead they just "go with the flow".

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  7. HI Katherine ! I enjoyed reading your post. I think it can be tough reading these statistics when we've been told our whole lives "we can be anything, and then someone like Kristof says, yes you can, but the odds are you won't. I think it's important for children to dream, and hear those things and not be discouraged, but I also think there is a fine line to walk, because there is also value in Honesty, and in Comprehending ones circumstances in order to develop a sound and informed plan to move beyond them. You can dream to get into Brown, but I guarantee not everyone will get in the same way. Some will need scholarships, some will need to relocate, some will need jobs, some get in on test scores, some get in on sport merit, some will have help, others will not. Everyones circumstances are different, and those circumstanced dictate much of our lives, more than we would like to admit.

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