A Timely Book
As real estate pratitioners we do not operate in a vacuum. We are actively engaged in the real world with each other, with our customers, our clients and their families.
A friend sent me a timely letter about a timely book that is not about real estate but seeks to answer to the big question that is uppermost in the minds of many of us this week, in response to the random tragedy that has struck: why?
I asked my friend for his his permission to share his letter.
It is evident that Seung-*** Cho fell through the cracks of the support system at Virginia Tech. No doubt his problems went back many years.
Our gun-happy culture can no longer afford to leave behind any person so disturbed and isolated. History and literature are filled with quiet types who bring catastrophe to their community.
Sue Books anticipated Virginia Tech in her new work, "Invisible Children in the Society and Its Schools."
She emphasizes the relationship between membership in society, social concern, public commitmen,t and the political economy.
Chapter 1, "Devastation and Disregard," examines the relationship between child poverty and educational achievement in the aftermath of two disasters: Katrina and Iraq. Chapter 2 describes how practices related to discipline, high-stakes testing, and exit exams contribute to bringing a disproportionate number of young black and Latino males to juvenile detention centers and prisons.
Chapter 6, "Korean American High School Dropouts"
debunks the "model minority" myth. It looks at the school experiences of Asian American students who are "at-risk" of dropping out of high school and who do not have access to the institutional resources needed for academic success.
In Chapter 10, "Thanksgiving and Serial Killers,"
describes how minorities in school simultaneously maintain visibility (through stereotypes) and invisibility.
The Virginia Tech catastrophe is a shot across the bow. The issues in this timely book frame the national debate that must take place.
William DuBay
Costa Mesa, CA 92627