The Healing of America
by James Morrison
I hate when I read the wrong book…same title, different
author. Though a bit dated and
inaccurate in some of its predictions, The
Healing of America by James L. Morrison is a good read. Written in 1997, the
book focuses on welfare reform in the late 1990s. Morrison provides great data trends (the
wealthy are getting wealthier – that continues to be true), but not all of his
predictions make it to the present. His
most compelling arguments come in the last chapter: how to reform the welfare
system. “The inner city is the land of
the forgotten”, though in some cases the inner city is composed of the
ultra-rich, such as in Manhattan, San Francisco, and other booming cities. The
poor, on the other hand, are driven to the “other side of that line” to places
perceived as more “invisible”. We do
need to continue to balance individual and community rights, create more
self-directed communities, change laws that harbor prejudice towards people of
color, and enter a mindset of fitness for all.
The book mixes data points, theory, and practical principles very well. A great read for public policy, economic, and
activists/civic leaders who want to make a change in our society to level the
playing field.
No comments:
Post a Comment