Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j8CElbG05247; Mon, 12 Sep 2005 10:47:37 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 10:47:37 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <6.1.2.0.0.20050912093932.01a04160@coe.tamu.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Harriet Smith <hsmith@coe.tamu.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1538] Re: Do we live in a racist and X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 6.1.2.0 Status: O Content-Length: 13992 Lines: 400 And because I'm the worst kind of public radio geek, I have to point out that This American Life is not a National Public Radio program. It is distributed instead by PRI - Public Radio International. http://www.pri.org/PublicSite/inside/index.html Harriet Smith Adult Literacy Clearinghouse Director Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning At 07:53 AM 9/12/2005, you wrote: >NIFL-POVRACELIT Colleagues, > >Correction: The NPR radio program is This American Life. > >David J. Rosen > >On Sep 12, 2005, at 8:37 AM, David Rosen wrote: > >>NIFL-POVRACELIT Colleagues, >> >>The NPR radio program, All Things Considered, this past weekend >>had an intensely moving, one-hour piece called "After The Flood" >>which is pertinent to this discussion. On many public radio >>stations it will be re-broadcast this weekend. (See http:// >>www.thislife.org/ for schedule.) It is also available through >>podcasts and, for a nominal cost, directly from NPR. >> >>David J. Rosen >>djrosen@comcast.net >> >>On Sep 9, 2005, at 12:21 PM, Andres Muro wrote: >> >> >>>In light of the UN report and the impact of the hurricane, do we >>>live in >>>a racist and classist society? >>> >>>Many would argue that we don't because our system does not >>>intentionally take actions to prevent poor people and minorities from >>>improving their social, economic conditions. This argument is >>>questionable, however, assuming that this argument is correct, ie, >>>nobody intentionally discriminates against the poor or minorities, >>>do we >>>live in a classist, racist society. >>> >>>History, societies and events are no assessed by the intention of the >>>actors, but the consequences of the actions. So, we judge periods of >>>historical times, not by the intentions of Washington, Queen >>>Elizabeth, >>>GW, Osama, but by the circumstances that were created. >>> >>>Racism and classism are defined as the differential treatment or >>>consequences to a group given by certain circumstances. In other >>>words, >>>if given some conditions, or events, one group is impacted more >>>negatively than another, then, there are social conditions that >>>result >>>in the discrimination of the group that suffered adversely. If the >>>group that suffered more adversity are the poor, then we have a >>>classist >>>society. If the group that suffered more adversity are an ethnic >>>minority, then we have racism, and so on and so for. Poverty is >>>proof of >>>classism, because a group is already suffering adverse conditions >>>that >>>they cannot overcome. Even if the intention of the society is to >>>create >>>the conditions for people to overcome poverty, as long as a >>>significant >>>group cannot overcome it, then we have a classist society. >>> >>>Now, looking at the events in Louisiana, did black people suffered >>>more >>>adversity than members of other ethnic groups, as a result of the >>>circumstances? the answer is a resounding yes. Therefore, we have a >>>racist society. Even if nobody wants to see blacks suffering and >>>we all >>>love blacks like we love our moms, the fact that blacks suffered much >>>more adversity than other groups shows that we live in a racist >>>society. >>> >>> >>>Another thing: racism is not determined from the point of view of >>>those >>>in power, but from the perspective of the victims. If it were >>>measured >>>by the point of view of those in power, then they will claim that >>>we did >>>not have racism, because they did not intend to discriminate. >>> >>>So, given the fact that we do live in a racist society according >>>to the >>>analysis of the UN report and the consequences of the hurricane, >>>what do >>>we do? A society must change the conditions so that those that suffer >>>more adversity than others stop suffering more adversity. It is as >>>simple as that. As long as we don't systematically work towards >>>changing >>>the conditions so that some groups stop experiencing more >>>adversity, we >>>will continue to be a racist society. >>> >>>So, we can wear the labels proudly and admit that we are a bunch of >>>racists, classists and sexists, or we change the conditions and >>>create >>>an egalitarian society. >>> >>>What do you all think? How does this relate to literacy? Do >>>minorities >>>have lower literacy achievement? Does this make us racist? >>> >>>Andres >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>>>>macorley1@earthlink.net 9/8/2005 6:35:48 PM >>> >>>>>> >>>UN Hits Back at US in Report Saying Parts of America Are as Poor as >>>Third >>>World >>> >>>By Paul Vallely >>> The Independent UK >>>http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090805L.shtml >>> Thursday 08 September 2005 >>> >>>Parts of the United States are as poor as the Third World, according >>>to >>>a shocking United Nations report on global inequality. >>> >>>Claims that the New Orleans floods have laid bare a growing racial >>>and >>>economic divide in the US have, until now, been rejected by the >>>American >>>political establishment as emotional rhetoric. But yesterday's UN >>>report >>>provides statistical proof that for many - well beyond those affected >>>by the >>>aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - the great American Dream is an >>>ongoing >>>nightmare. >>> >>>The document constitutes a stinging attack on US policies at home and >>>abroad in a fightback against moves by Washington to undermine next >>>week's >>>UN 60th anniversary conference which will be the biggest gathering of >>>world >>>leaders in history. >>> >>>The annual Human Development Report normally concerns itself with the >>>Third World, but the 2005 edition scrutinises inequalities in health >>>provision inside the US as part of a survey of how inequality >>>worldwide >>>is >>>retarding the eradication of poverty. >>> >>>It reveals that the infant mortality rate has been rising in the US >>>for >>>the past five years - and is now the same as Malaysia. America's >>>black >>>children are twice as likely as whites to die before their first >>>birthday. >>> >>>The report is bound to incense the Bush administration as it provides >>>ammunition for critics who have claimed that the fiasco following >>>Hurricane >>>Katrina shows that Washington does not care about poor black >>>Americans. >>>But >>>the 370-page document is critical of American policies towards >>>poverty >>>abroad as well as at home. And, in unusually outspoken language, it >>>accuses >>>the US of having "an overdeveloped military strategy and an >>>under-developed >>>strategy for human security". >>> >>>"There is an urgent need to develop a collective security framework >>>that >>>goes beyond military responses to terrorism," it continues. " Poverty >>>and >>>social breakdown are core components of the global security threat." >>> >>>The document, which was written by Kevin Watkins, the former head of >>>research at Oxfam, will be seen as round two in the battle between >>>the >>>UN >>>and the US, which regards the world body as an unnecessary constraint >>>on its >>>strategic interests and actions. >>> >>>Last month John Bolton, the new US ambassador to the UN, submitted >>>750 >>>amendments to the draft declaration for next week's summit to >>>strengthen the >>>UN and review progress towards its Millennium Development Goals to >>>halve >>>world poverty by 2015. >>> >>>The report launched yesterday is a clear challenge to Washington. The >>>Bush administration wants to replace multilateral solutions to >>>international >>>problems with a world order in which the US does as it likes on a >>>bilateral >>>basis. >>> >>>"This is the UN coming out all guns firing," said one UN insider. "It >>>means that, even if we have a lame duck secretary general after the >>>Volcker >>>report (on the oil-for-food scandal), the rest of the organisation is >>>not >>>going to accept the US bilateralist agenda." >>> >>>The clash on world poverty centres on the US policy of promoting >>>growth >>>and trade liberalisation on the assumption that this will trickle >>>down >>>to >>>the poor. But this will not stop children dying, the UN says. Growth >>>alone >>>will not reduce poverty so long as the poor are denied full access to >>>health, education and other social provision. Among the world's poor, >>>infant >>>mortality is falling at less than half of the world average. To >>>tackle >>>that >>>means tackling inequality - a message towards which John Bolton and >>>his >>>fellow US neocons are deeply hostile. >>> >>>India and China, the UN says, have been very successful in wealth >>>creation but have not enabled the poor to share in the process. A >>>rapid >>>decline in child mortality has therefore not materialised. Indeed, >>>when >>>it >>>comes to reducing infant deaths, India has now been overtaken by >>>Bangladesh, >>>which is only growing a third as fast. >>> >>>Poverty could be halved in just 17 years in Kenya if the poorest >>>people >>>were enabled to double the amount of economic growth they can achieve >>>at >>>present. >>> >>>Inequality within countries is as stark as the gaps between >>>countries, >>>the UN says. Poverty is not the only issue here. The death rate for >>>girls in >>>India is now 50 per cent higher than for boys. Gender bias means >>>girls >>>are >>>not given the same food as boys and are not taken to clinics as often >>>when >>>they are ill. Foetal scanning has also reduced the number of girls >>>born. >>> >>>The only way to eradicate poverty, it says, is to target >>>inequalities. >>>Unless that is done the Millennium Development Goals will never be >>>met. >>>And >>>41 million children will die unnecessarily over the next 10 years. >>>Decline in health care >>> >>>Child mortality is on the rise in the United States >>> >>>For half a century the US has seen a sustained decline in the number >>>of >>>children who die before their fifth birthday. But since 2000 this >>>trend >>>has >>>been reversed. >>> >>>Although the US leads the world in healthcare spending - per head of >>>population it spends twice what other rich OECD nations spend on >>>average, 13 >>>per cent of its national income - this high level goes >>>disproportionately on >>>the care of white Americans. It has not been targeted to eradicate >>>large >>>disparities in infant death rates based on race, wealth and state of >>>residence. >>> >>>The infant mortality rate in the US is now the same as in Malaysia >>> >>>High levels of spending on personal health care reflect America's >>>cutting-edge medical technology and treatment. But the paradox at the >>>heart >>>of the US health system is that, because of inequalities in health >>>financing, countries that spend substantially less than the US have, >>>on >>>average, a healthier population. A baby boy from one of the top 5 per >>>cent >>>richest families in America will live 25 per cent longer than a boy >>>born in >>>the bottom 5 per cent and the infant mortality rate in the US is the >>>same as >>>Malaysia, which has a quarter of America's income. >>> >>>Blacks in Washington DC have a higher infant death rate than >>>people in >>>the Indian state of Kerala >>> >>>The health of US citizens is influenced by differences in insurance, >>>income, language and education. Black mothers are twice as likely as >>>white >>>mothers to give birth to a low birthweight baby. And their >>>children are >>>more >>>likely to become ill. >>> >>>Throughout the US black children are twice as likely to die before >>>their >>>first birthday. >>> >>>Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely as white >>>Americans to >>>have no health cover >>> >>>The US is the only wealthy country with no universal health insurance >>>system. Its mix of employer-based private insurance and public >>>coverage >>>does >>>not reach all Americans. More than one in six people of working age >>>lack >>>insurance. One in three families living below the poverty line are >>>uninsured. Just 13 per cent of white Americans are uninsured, >>>compared >>>with >>>21 per cent of blacks and 34 per cent of Hispanic Americans. Being >>>born >>>into >>>an uninsured household increases the probability of death before the >>>age of >>>one by about 50 per cent. >>> >>>More than a third of the uninsured say that they went without medical >>>care last year because of cost >>> >>>Uninsured Americans are less likely to have regular outpatient care, >>>so >>>they are more likely to be admitted to hospital for avoidable health >>>problems. >>> >>>More than 40 per cent of the uninsured do not have a regular place to >>>receive medical treatment. More than a third say that they or someone >>>in >>>their family went without needed medical care, including prescription >>>drugs, >>>in the past year because they lacked the money to pay. >>> >>>If the gap in health care between black and white Americans was >>>eliminated it would save nearly 85,000 lives a year. Technological >>>improvements in medicine save about 20,000 lives a year. >>> >>>Child poverty rates in the United States are now more than 20 per >>>cent. >>> >>>Child poverty is a particularly sensitive indicator for income >>>poverty >>>in rich countries. It is defined as living in a family with an income >>>below >>>50 per cent of the national average. >>> >>>The US - with Mexico - has the dubious distinction of seeing its >>>child >>>poverty rates increase to more than 20 per cent. In the UK - which at >>>the >>>end of the 1990s had one of the highest child poverty rates in >>>Europe - >>>the >>>rise in child poverty, by contrast, has been reversed through >>>increases >>>in >>>tax credits and benefits. >>> >>> >>> >>> >> > ___________________________________ Harriet Vardiman Smith Clearinghouse Director Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning State Partner in the National LINCS System Texas A&M University 800-441-READ website: www-tcall.tamu.edu main office email: tcall@coe.tamu.edu "Illiteracy and innumeracy are a greater threat to humanity than terrorism." -- Amaratya Sen, 2003 Nobel prize-winning economist.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Oct 31 2005 - 09:50:00 EST