|
This book is not about a fictional fate. And it's not about the fate of a single character. This book is the report of the fate of thousands of people observed and written down by a New York City journalist. It is not set in a Third World country but in New York City, not at the time of immigration but in the mid 1990ies, a place and time where you think civilization had reached its fullest extent and highest level. The book is about people who live in the Southbronx mainly, but also in Harlem and Brooklyn. It is about the poorest people of the USA. And how the rich that live down in Manhattan deal with them
Drugs dont really play the main part in this book but an important role. Drugdealers, heroinaddicts and people who suffer and die from AIDs in consequence of it, are the scenario, it takes part in and while reading the book you get so used to them being there, you dont even bother thinking about WHY? so much anymore. You accept them being there, like the pple who live there, they are around like the air to breathe. The question is not HOW to prevent them getting addicted, you can't even blame them for taking drugs and nobody asks why? it goes without saying. These people are so miserable, it's hard to understand how they can possibly find any meaning in their lives. Well and most of them dont, so they use drugs to escape, dream of a nicer world and die early, as they are convinced most of the rich white people want them to anyway, because then they dont have to bother with their bad conscience.
"If people in NY woke up one day and learned that we were gone, that we had simply died or left for somewhere else, how would they feel?
I think they'd be relieved. . . . People in Manhattan could go on and lead their lives and not feel worried about being robbed and not feel guilty and not need to pay for welfare babies. "
Maria 16 years old, Harlem
All the people who want to help are able to do is not prevent them of using drugs, but of helping them to stay alive as long as they can by handing out clean needles, condoms and food.
" The pastor tells me that this place is known as Children's Park.
Volunteers arrive here twice a week to give out condoms and 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. "
Drugs are an ever present element in the lives of these people from the earliest childhood on and nobody bothers to or can change this.
"We see this woman shooting up on the front stairs. She has the needle in her arm. Im trying to get the children past her so I ask her`could you do this somewhere else?'She tells me `Im sorry i dont mean to disrespect you, but i can't get up'"
The thousands of drugaddicts in this book dont abuse drugs for fun , because of curiosity or to get mindopening experiences, but for the simple reason to escape this world that doesn't seem to have any respect left for these human beings.
|
