The Crime Rate: How Low Can It Go?

Discussion Questions:
1. According to the article, how have crime figures changed since the 1990’s? Is this true for all sections of New York?
According to the article crime figures had changed since the 1990’s by decreasing, crime rate had decrease even though is not true for all sections of New York because in some places it might increase while in others it may decrease.
2. Is the reduction in crime explainable? What reasons does this article give? Do you agree with them?
According to the reading there are two ways in which the reduction of crime can be explainable, some believed that crime was created because of poverty, joblessness and one of the mayor reasons for why crime dropped was because of crack, the cocaine epidemic had stopped. The other reason that many debate about is that crime had stopped because of the police; they have new ways of how to combat crime. I agree with the reason that crime exist because of poverty, then there would be no crime since there would be no reason for robbing or killing.
3. What are the positives and negatives of Operation Impact?
The positives of Operation Impact are that they are tracking down “Impact Zones” this is good because things would be under control which will mean that crime rate would decrease. The negatives of Operation Impact are that the rookies police officers are the ones that are send to the impact zone. I don’t think they have enough experience to go and face such dangerous zones, the police officers that should be send there are the ones that have more experience.
4. Do you believe that the pressure to crime has resulted in overly aggressive police tactics?
I don’t believe that the pressure to lower crime has resulted in overly aggressive police tactics, I think that crime had stopped due to the strength that the law has on a person, things are more complicated now, if you commit a small crime you will not just get a ticket you will have to spend the night in jail and then go to court. Is such a long process that people just rather not go through, there fore crime has stopped because laws are enforced but not because police officers are aggressive.
5. What factors does professor Karmen say contribute to the reduction in crime? Can you add any other possibilities?
The factors that professor Karmen say contributed to the reduction in crime is that a lot more students are finishing High School and moving on to college, immigration is also a great factor and the job that the police officers do play a mayor role on the decrease of crime.
6. Do you feel that the “law crime rate” That New York enjoys today is something to celebrate? Why or why not?
I do think that the “low crime rate” that New York enjoys today is something to celebrate since the crime has lowered and it keeps lowering and this is because many are finishing High School and going on to college therefore they are getting an education.

“Graffiti: Art or Nuisance”

Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think graffiti “art” attracts so many different types of people?
I think graffiti attracts so many different types of people because everyone has different types of view, some may like it and some don’t, some people like tags others may like throws, etching or bombing. Everyone likes different things and it doesn’t necessarily attract teenagers only there are also older person that may look at it as “art”.
2. Why do businesses oppose the application of fines for not cleaning up graffiti? Do you think this is a fair measure?
I think that businesses oppose the application of fines for cleaning up graffiti because if they were to clean every spot that has graffiti the next day the graffiti would most likely appear again, and is not under their control to stop graffiti. Cleaning it can be very expensive. I don’t think is a fair measurement since is not under their control to stop graffiti and even if they clean it, it would be there again the next day, it is expensive to take it out, therefore it shouldn’t be no ones responsibility to clean it but the government.
3. Discuss the “broken window theory”, which has played an enormous role in the way New York City confronts urban decline. Do you find this theory convincing?
The “broken window theory” is a theory that says for example, if there is a building and a window is broken and the owner doesn’t fix it right away people would most likely think that no body cares about the building, therefore all the windows would be broken. I do find this theory convincing, but this theory is about windows, if someone was to break a window someone could get hurt, but when you do graffiti is a way to express your self and it could also be classified as art.
4. Why does Monserrate call graffiti artist “vandals”? Do you agree with his assessment?
Monserrate called graffiti artist “vandals” because he thinks graffiti is a way for gangs to communicate with each other and if graffiti is enforced that gangs will also be enforced which would mean that violence will be created. I don’t agree with his assessment because not everyone that does graffiti is gang related, for people it might be a way to express themselves. To be heard.
5. How do you think the graffiti problem should be handled?
I think the graffiti “problem” is not going to be able to be stopped; it’s been existing for a long time and many had tried to stop it. Many generations are seeing graffiti as an art and with time is becoming more popular. This would mean that it could appear in more places and the “problem” wouldn’t be solved.

“When I Was a Puerto Rican”

Discussion Questions:
1. Based on what criteria does the principal place Esmeralda? Do you think this decision is reasonable?
The principal places Esmeralda based on the criteria that Esmeralda doesn’t know any English; therefore he wants to place her a year back not caring about how good her report card is. No, I don’t think his decision is reasonable, she shouldn’t be place in the wrong place only because she doesn’t know English, it should be based on her potential, for example her grades were only A’s and B’s.
2. What is the writer’s reaction to her initial placement? Would you do the same if you were in her situation?
The writer’s reaction to her initial placement was very upsetting, she was going to be placed one grade back, she argued with the principal and told him that she was a good student and that she wanted to be placed were she belonged. I would definitely do the same if I was in her situation. I would fight for my rights because it wouldn’t be fare that I’m a good student and just because I don’t know English I would be placed a grade back.
3. Why was her mother worried about her daughters outspoken?
Her mother was worried about her daughters outspoken because in her country she would’ve been called a “malcriada” which means that she is a person who doesn’t have manners, Esmeralda is not supposed to talk back to an adult, that’s disrespectful and her mom was worried because Esmeralda was speaking English to the principal and she didn’t understand what they were talking about.
4. How could her placement have been handled differently?
Her placement could have been handled differently, by the principal showing that he was interested in her, but he wasn’t and he showed it by placing her in one of the worst classes were students didn’t really pay attention in class and sometimes they will just go to sleep in class.
5. How Esmeralda and Miss Brown relate to one another?
Esmeralda and Miss Brown relate to one another by Esmeralda participating in her class, she will always go to the blackboard and as time went by she was reading books and became better at writing in English rather then speaking it.
6. What lesson does Esmeralda learn when she persuades the principal to put her in the eight grade?
The lesson that Esmeralda learns when she persuades the principal to put her in eight grade is that she gets way with what she wanted also that she was able to speak in English and now that she did that she thought that if she is not able to do the deal that her and the principal made, she will be a failure.
7. Do you think placement affects later academic performance?
I do think that her placement affects later academics performance because if she wanted to attend to a good school the placement the she was on will make her look as if she was a bad student not able to accomplish anything and even if she had good grades it was probably because the class was to easy, since it was for students that had academic problems.

Savage Inequalities

1. What is the significance of the title?
The significance of the title is that inequalities could bring brutality, since not much people are accepted if they are not equal to the majority; the outcome of this could be brutal, only for the fact of not being the same as others.
2. According to Jack Forman, what is the mission of the English department in Morris High School? What attempts have they made to achieve their goals?
The mission of the English department in Morris High School is to make the children understand the advanced placement readings, they were testing them and with this they’ll see how bright the kids were, but they knew that the opportunities for them to success were scarce.
3. What does Kozol want to emphasize in the episode of reading Dunbar’s poem? How does it set the tone for the rest of his essay?
What Kozol wants to emphasize is to see how bright the kids are and to see if they understand the advanced poetry that they were reading. The poems are trying to express a message and the kids do understand it, one of them says that the encaged bird sings because it wants to be free, is from the time of slavery.
4. Given their experience in Morris High School, how did the students respond to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “One day, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaves-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood”?
The students respond to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by evaluating and realizing how racism or not being equal to others could affect the way of living or affect the chance of being successful in life. One of them said that if there were white students in their school, their school will shine.
5. How does the author describe the teachers and the students in Morris High School?
The teachers and students are described as smart, but not with so many opportunities. Most of them won’t finish high school at least that’s what many teachers believed. Teachers should’ve played a mayor role but they couldn’t, it was hard for them to learn their student’s names since their classes were so overcrowded it was hard for the students to be known.
6. What were the difficulties that the teachers and the students in Morris High School were facing?
The many difficulties that the teachers and students at Morris High School had to face were very severe, the school was in a very poor condition, there was paper ripped on the wall, broken windows, when it rained water went in and the classrooms were overcrowded.
7. What are selective High Schools? Do you think they should continue to receive preference treatment in fiscal areas and faculties assignments?
Selective high Schools are schools in which the brightest students are accepted to go to, but not many know about this, for example in Morris High School there is not enough information for them to get into one of these schools, they are bright but the lack of information had a big effect on this. I don’t think there should be any preference between students, everyone has the capacity to do good and to be successful, the problem is that many are not well inform.

From Doo Wop to Hip Hop: The Bittersweet Odyssey of African Americans in the South Bronx.

Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss how Naison uses the music of the Chantels and the rap lyrics of Grandmaster Flash to structure his own argument?
Naison uses music of the Chantels to show and describe how times were in the 1950’s, the expression of the music showed that times were good that there was no struggle but in the 1970’s everything changes and the rap lyrics of Grandmaster Flesh said it all, he expresses his frustration and explains how hard times are in the South Bronx (projects) there is no more prosperity then it was full of violence and gangs.
2. What is the effect of interviewing actual people as evidence to support his augment?
The effect of interviewing actual people as evidence to support his facts or thesis, it gives a personal point of view to the reader.
3. How did the tenants of the Patterson houses in the 1950’s view their new residence?
The tenants of the Patterson houses in the 1950’s viewed their new residence as a new place to live on; they saw it as a place where kids could have security and a better opportunity for them to accomplish a successful career. Communities were a lot more safety, everyone took care of one another.
4. How where children treated at this time? What was available to them? What role did adults played in their lives?
Children at this time were adult’s first priority, they were always being watched. At this time many things were available to them for example music classes, sport activities, trips, summer camps, parks etc. Adults played a main role in their lives, they were the ones who always prevent them from doing something wrong, and parents always remain together. Their job was to keep them safe and turn them into a very useful person to the community.
5. What was economy like for working-class families in the 1950’s?
Economy in the 1950’s for the working class was very supportive, there wasn’t much struggle since everyone would help out each other, jobs were always available, the men in the house would be the bread winner and would support his family, there was hardly any struggle.
6. What was the effect of heroin in the mid 1960’s?
The effect of heroin in the mid 1960’s was a big change in the south Bronx. Things dramatically changed. Around the 1950’s children were receiving a good education, they were in good hands everyone looked after each other. When the mid 1960’s came, heroin came with it, it became the mayor drug used in the South Bronx, there was so much violence going on and gangs were taking over the neighborhoods.
7. What loss did the loss of jobs have? Do you think this is a larger social issue?
The role that the loss of jobs had was that many parents were separating. The bread winner who was most likely the father would abandon the family the cause of this was the lost of jobs and the fact that they couldn’t support their families no more. I do think this is a large social issue since the kids didn’t really get attention nor had someone always checking on them; the cause of this was that many kids fell into addictions or ended up making part of a gang and the results were that they had problems with the law.
8. What was early Hip-Hop like? What social and political agenda did it serve?
Early Hip-Hop was an expression, many used it as a way to express what was going on at the projects, there were gangs and drugs, much of the music described violence. There was no social or political agenda that played a role on this; even if they tried they didn’t do much to help them, it was like if everyone disappeared people were dying everyday and they didn’t care about what was going on.
9. Why does Naison argue that the story of Hip-Hop’s rise “does not have a happy ending”? How did Hip-Hop, according to him change? Do you agree with his assessment?
He argues that the story of Hip-Hop’s rise “does not have a happy ending “because it doesn’t help the already fracture neighborhoods, it didn’t change the conditions in the ghettos. Hip-Hop used to be about rhythm and it used to be heard in gospels, later on Hip-Hop was listened to by teenagers in the south Bronx because Hip-Hop was the way to express the struggles that the community was going through. Yes, I agree with his assessment since only people who struggle in the place that they live on or that there is violence and drugs in their community could identify themselves to Hip-Hop.
10. What solutions does Naison offer to revitalize troubled neighborhoods? Can you suggest any others?
The suggestions that Naison offer are to bring back after school activities, summer camps, music classes. I think one of the mayor suggestions will be to provide families and teachers a much higher income so that the conditions in which people live could improve.

“Into the Pit” by Nicky Cruz

Discussion Questions:
1. What does the text suggest to be the source of Nicky’s anger?
The text suggest that the source of Nicky’s anger is that he had never been loved, he seems to hate everything and whatever threatens him, he wants to kill it, as the judge said he is like an animal. Nicky came to the United State by himself at age sixteen and depended on the streets therefore he became the head of a famous gang.
2. How are the police portrayed in the story? Why do you think the police, and the justice system generally, failed to solve the gang problem in Cruz’s time?
The police is portrayed in the story as bad cops they are racists and teat the gang members with no respect, they are very aggressive and have no compassion for the people who are locked up they reefer to most of them as “animals”. I think that the police and justice system generally failed to solve the gang problems because they didn’t really cared about what was really going on the only way that they solved problems was by using violence and that’s the opposite of what the gang members needed.
3. Why does Nicky hate caged animals and birds so much?
Nicky hates caged animals and birds so much because they are free, they have the freedom to do whatever they want to do and go where ever they want to go, it bothers him in a way since he knows he can’t be like them.
4. What is the court psychologist’s conclusion after examining Nicky? Do you think he makes a sound decision in letting the young gangsters go?
The court psychologist’s conclusion is that there is no hope left for him, he has no intentions in changing therefore there is nothing left for him but jail, electric chair and hell. I think he does make a sound decision in letting the young gangster go because later on he realizes that he had done a lot of wrong decisions.
5. Why does Nicky want to kill the “old wretch of a woman” he encounters after being freed?
Nicky wants to kill the “old wretch of a woman” because for him it symbolizes who he is, he doesn’t like feeling dirty and he hates it and to that purpose he wants to kill the woman.
6. What is the metaphorical significance of the red balloon? How does Cruz’s tone change when he fallows and describes the journey of the balloon?
The metaphorical significance of the red balloon is that he compares himself to the balloon, at the beginning of the story he didn’t really cared about anything and in this scene it gives the reader the impression that he realizes that he cares about something even if is a balloon, he doesn’t want it to explode because he sees himself as the balloon, his tone changes when he shows that he cares about something for the first time.

“Helping and Hating the Homeless” by Peter Marin

Discussion Questions:
What is Marin’s concern about the general perception of the term “homeless”?
1. Marin’s concern about the general perception of the term “homeless” is that this term is hard to define; there are so many ways in which a person can be define it, he mentions that is ironic because people who are homeless are in this conditions because many of us instead of helping others, we make their conditions worst for them, so many people fall into this category of “homeless” as he mentions even veterans from the war.
2. What does the author imply in the line: “Homeless is the sum total of our dreams, policies, intentions, errors, omissions, cruelties, kindnesses all of it recorded in flesh, in the life of the street”?
What the author implies in the quote “Homelessness is the sum total of our dreams, policies, intentions, errors, omissions, cruelties, kindnesses, all of it recorded, in flesh, in the life of the street” is that most of everybody’s dream is to be happy, economically stable, they dream of having a life free of cruelty, in order for everyone to accomplish their dreams is to have a home to live in and being able to support their family.
3. What is Marin’s central point in discussing the two types of homeless people?

Marin’s central point in discussing the two types of homeless people is that one of them are forced to live under these conditions, they want to escape it, but can’t because of the lack of money or any other necessity. The other groups are people who have a choice but they decide to live as homeless, they have the opportunity to not live under these conditions but they choose to.
4. What was the Victorian manner of dealing with the homeless? Does Marin feel that modern society has advanced in its views?
The Victorian manner of dealing with the homeless is by controlling them and trying to eliminate them by helping them. Marin does feel that modern society has advanced in its views since he claimed that “we begin to see the entangling of self protection with social obligation, the strategy of masking self interest and the urge to control as moral duty”

5. Do you think society’s contending dramas of “magnanimity” and “hatred of deviance” will ever be resolved? If so how?
In my opinion society’s contending dramas of “magnanimity” and “hatred of deviance” will not be resolved, since everybody have different ways of thinking, many people believe in helping the homeless others don’t as time goes by most likely their would be more homeless and people will have different points of views.