My Response to the Letter

I just finished reading your article, "Class Lessons; The Education of a High School Boy" in the (magazine) Family Circle. I found it quite interesting how you felt the urge to transfer out of a (seemingly) picture perfect school to go to a school with such a bad reputation. I don't quite understand your motivation but I admire your courage. I also went from a small, and somewhat sheltered school to a huge (by comparison to the first) school with a reputation; both school were in my area. It was a hard transistion and I am still a little shaky around the crowds at times but I deal with it because I have to, you didn't.

My point is that it is easy to have two schools that close to each other with that much of a cultural difference. It's like that the majority of the time. Usually when there is a predominantly white neighborhood, there is a predominantly African American (or any other minority group) neighborhood close-by. In most cases, the "white" community will have more opportunity and prvileges than the "black" community. Also, state or community funding is sent to the schools of the "upper-class" because they "earned" some right to be first priority.

I don't really see any real way to undo the problem. The damage is already done. I mean, we can always try but it will be extremely hard. That line of separation society has drawn between social classes took a while to be drawn and it will take even longer to erase.

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