In
doing our research and reporting for this book, we came to see that life's
journey for affluent, well-educated American families is like a stroll along a
wide, smooth path, forgiving of missteps. But increasingly, for those from
lower on the socioeconomic spectrum, life resembles a tightrope walk. Some make
it across, but for so many, one stumble and that's it. What's more, a tumble
from the tightrope frequently destroys not only that individual but the entire
family, including children and, through them, grandchildren. The casualties are
everywhere in America, if we only care to notice.
?
Some
68,000 Americans now die annually from drug overdoses, another 88,000 from
alcohol abuse and 47,000 from suicide. More Americans die from these causes
every two weeks than died during eighteen years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Yet much of affluent America has shrugged, with elites paying little attention
to the disintegration of communities across the country - or, worse, blaming
the victims. In fact, plenty of blame could go elsewhere: Politicians,
journalists, religious leaders and business executives were too often derelict
as communities cratered and tens of millions of people endured the pain. The
United States still doesn't have a coherent plan to address the challenges.
?
Nicholas Kristoff "Tightrope:
Americans Reaching for Hope" (2020)
