Cause of death: Inequality & Chapter 9

Cause of Death: Inequality written by Alejandro Reuss, is an article about how social inequality in America causes death among certain racial groups and how education and income play a major role in how long people live. The author found that men with less than 12 years of education are more then twice as likely to die from chronic diseases (like heart disease or heart attack) and are more than three times as likely to die from a injury, compared to men who had 13 years or more of education. He also found that women with family incomes less than $10,000 are more than three times as likely to die of heart disease and three times as likely to die from diabetes, as opposed to those with a family income of $25,000 or more.
     The statistic that shocked me when I read it was that African Americans are more likely than whites to die of (*GET READY FOR THIS*), heart disease, stroke, lung, colon, prostate and breast cancer, all cancers combined, liver disease, diabetes, AIDS, accidental injury, and homicide. Pretty much saying that blacks will die of EVERYTHING in the book before a white person does. That just boggles my mind, the fact that a black person, who presumably will receive less education than a white person (just because of his/her skin color) will die due to anything in the cause of death book, before a white person is crazy to me! Where is this world is that right?!!?!?!?! I mean obviously here in the USA, but that's just so wrong.
     Another way that the article says that people are unequal is through health care. 1 out of every 6 Americans does not have health care, and of that 44% are poor people. Just the fact that they are poor makes them unequal to people who are wealthy and have money. Because they don't have health care, when they get sick they don't get seen by a doctor and this is why they end up dying faster than some one who has health care and is wealthier. The solution in my eyes is clear, if you are poor you should have health care because that way you have one good thing that you can depend on, a good doctor to make your life easier to bear. But of course in this equal country, that might never happen. The rich will continue to be rich and healthy and poor will continue to be unhealthy and die (excuse my bluntness but at this point I'm already upset and bothered).

    Chapter 9, Class and Global Inequality, helped me understand the differences of the classes more indefinitely. In the United States we have 4 main classes, Lower class (9%), Working class (45%), Middle class (45%) and Upper class (1%). Upper class people get their income (money received from sources such as wages and salaries as well as interests, dividends, and rent generated by wealth) from high paying salary jobs and bonuses, stocks and investments, real estates, and inheritance. Middle class people get their income from working powerful jobs, such as professors, doctors, lawyers, scientists and most business executives. The middle class people generally, have gone to college to build their middle class paying jobs and careers. Working class people get their incomes from jobs that usually make a product or provide a service and they earn hourly wages. All of these jobs require some skill, and some of these jobs include mechanics, electricians and technicians. The jobs in the working class that don't require skills can include jobs like working in fast food restaurants, retail sales clerk, daycare provider, etc. In the working class, there are some unions, which provide a little better wages, but they still struggle financially. The underclass (lower class) are those are chronically unemployed or briefly employed, and those who have no source of income at all.
    I think that my mother and I fall into the working class. My mom has been working for the city for over 30 years and I have been working and going to school since I was 16 years old, (I'm 20 now) and I've already gotten used to being overwhelmed and stressed all of the time. I work because I like to have my own money and I don't want to have to depend on my mother for money, which is already tight because of all the bills we have. Sometimes and I sit and wish that I was rich so that I wouldn't have to work and I can only focus on school. But then I see those kids that attend really good schools, that don't work, or never worked a day in their lives and I'm happy that I do have to work. They're usually bratty people, unhappy, and find that money is the only thing that keeps them motivated. Don't get me wrong, I loveeeeeeee my money and I'm sure I would love to get it and not even have to work for it, but I feel like working gives me something to do. It takes my mind off of other problems. It has made me responsible. And I am happy overall. Not many young adults can work 45 hours a week and take 5 classes and still pull off a 3.7 GPA, while still maintaining a social life. I also think that I have experiences that wealthier people won't ever ever receive, like working for something an achieving goals that you set for yourself and then meet them yourself, not achieving them because you have more opportunity's (to me that's cheating).