Elvira Woodruff

I have to say that when I read, either fiction or nonfiction, whether the subject initially interests me or not, by the time I’m a few pages in, ninety-nine percent of the time I’ve found some piece of the material with which I can connect. However, this was not the case with The Uses of Sidewalks – Safety. Not only was there nothing for me to connect with, but I also didn’t like the author’s writing style or the way she presented her ideas. As I continued to read, it seemed as though she was making the same point over and over again. A “safe street” is one with many people on it at all times, all protecting each other whether they are aware of it or not. Though this is true, the idea seemed rather rudimentary. I felt that it was very obvious this would be the definition of a “safe street” since it’s certainly not a dark, gloomy place with a few weird, shady looking people milling around.
Next I read Woodruff Park and the Search for Common Ground and found this to be a much more interesting piece. The message, while saddening, was very true. The author, Murphy Davis, described how the government of Atlanta continuously sought to remove the homeless and poor from the city. What they weren’t realizing was that through their actions they were really just making the problem worse. So why, instead of forcing these people out and making their lives more unpleasant, didn’t the government realize that an easier way would be to spend the money they were currently using in an ineffective and vulgar way, on more productive things, the most important being housing? She answers this question later in the article. They didn’t realize this because they didn’t want to. Instead of caring about all of the people in the city, they cared only about furthering themselves.