As we segregate by income into different communities, schools in lower-income areas have fewer resources than ever.
Robert ReichRead
More people are killed by stray bullets every day in America than have been killed by Ebola here. More are dying because of poverty and hunger.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that issues like gun violence and poverty have a more immediate and frequent impact on lives in America than diseases like Ebola.
Robert Reich highlights a stark contrast between the media's attention on global health crises such as Ebola and the everyday violence and poverty that claim far more lives in America. He suggests that societal issues like gun violence and hunger are often overlooked, yet they pose a significant threat to the well-being and safety of individuals in the country.
In practice
In discussions about public health priorities, this quote can be referenced to highlight the impact of gun violence.
As we segregate by income into different communities, schools in lower-income areas have fewer resources than ever.
What are called 'public schools' in many of America's wealthy communities aren't really 'public' at all. In effect, they're private schools, whose tuition is hidden away in the purchase price of upscale homes there, and in the corresponding property taxes.
What someone is paid has little or no relationship to what their work is worth to society.
Tax laws favor capital over labor, giving capital gains a lower rate than ordinary income. The rich get humongous mortgage interest deductions while renters get no deduction at all.
The dirty little secret is that both houses of Congress are irrelevant. ... America's domestic policy is now being run by Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve, and America's foreign policy is now being run by the International Monetary Fund [IMF]. ...when the president decides to go to war, he no longer needs a declaration of war from Congress.
You can't inspire people if you are going to be uninspiring.
He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.
Sometimes you got to hurt something to help something. Sometimes you have to plow under one thing in order for something else to grow.
How do you change the world? One room at a time. Which room? The one you're in.
I do think that you're starting to see young people pay attention to some longterm issues that they feel Washington has neglected.
If you give people unlimited time and money, they'll do things the same old way. But if they have to achieve the goal in a brief time, they'll either give up or try something new.
We are here to change the world with small acts of thoughtfulness done daily rather than with one great breakthrough.
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