Jonathan Kozol's "Amazing Grace"

Quotes:  Choose three quotes from the text and explain what they mean and their relevance to the text.

"The point is that they put a lot of things into our neighborhood that no one wants,"  she says.  "The waste incinerator is just one more lovely way of showing their affection." (Kozol 10)
I believe that this quote right here just shows me how much control the people have over what the city puts on Cypress Avenue.  The city is already as bad as it is and they are just making it worse by polluting the air with this incinerator.  Several people are sick, children already have breathing problems, prostitutes are roaming the streets everywhere, and drug dealers are seen throughout.  Kozol is trying to display how much power these people have in their own city.  Even if they did try and fight the city about what was to be put in the city they still wouldn't win the war.  Since poverty is so popular throughout the city obviously they have no control over what goes on therefore incinerators, prostitutes, drug dealers, and illegal dumpers take advantage of this part of the city and just continue to trash the place.

"The pastor tells me that the place is known as "Children's Park."  Volunteers arrive here twice a week to give out condoms and clean needles to addicted men and women, some of whom bring their children with them.  The children play near the bears or on a jungle gym while their mothers wait for needles."  (Kozol 12)
Upon reading this quote I was in complete shock.  Not only do the people that live in this neighborhood have control but it also shows that there is no authority in this neighborhood.  I just don't understand why they would let people who have addictions come to what is known as a family place to pick up their condoms and clean needles.  Most parents decide to bring their kids to a park because it is a place that is supposed to be kid appropriate and they can play with all their friends.  Kids shouldn't have to see their own parents going to the "Children's Park" to pick up their condoms or clean needles and go and play with the bears that are attached to tree limbs.  There are times like these that would scare me as a teacher because there might be that one student that doesn't act right in school and always comes into school with that terrified look on his face because every week he sees his mother or father go to this park to pick up what they need.

"He said a bed had been arranged.  They told him they would have it ready in two hours.  I went to the hospital and, when I get there, it's six hours before they can put me in a bed.  Then when I go upstairs, the room is not prepared.  The bed is covered with blood and bandages from someone else."  (Kozol 15)
In this quote, Kozol is saying that even when they doctor's demand Mrs. Washington to get admitted she still has to wait hours and hours to be waited upon where it should only take a short amount of time.  It just doesn't make sense to me why someone would make someone get admitted then force them to wait hours to be waited upon and when the time finally comes they walk up to a room that isn't even prepared.  A hospital should not be a place that someone refuses to go to because of their poor services, it should be a place where patients feel comfortable and are happy with the services.  They shouldn't have to walk into a room with blood and bandages everywhere.  Kozol is also trying to say that even though a majority of these people suffer from poverty they should always have a place to go to and to feel better about themselves and clearly this hospital is not the place to go to and that is not acceptable in my view.

Questions:  As stated previously the conditions in the Bronx Lebanon is terrible.  In fact, it is so terrible that Mrs. Washington cries every time they tell her she has to go back.  Should this be fixed?  Should they get more staff members to help ease the conditions?  Should she go to a new hospital?  Another issue that I thought was a bit disturbing was the fact that addicts were using a children's park to receive their clean needles and condoms.  Where else should they do this?