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Kyle Meineke

English 1001

Professor Judy Hampel

January 24, 2017

Rhetorical Analysis

Lawrence Jacobs and James Morone assert in their article, Health and Wealth: Our

Appalling Inequality Reflects and Reinforces Societys Other Gaps, that the people of the

United Sates are suffering under a dismal life expectancy rate needlessly, and steps need to be

taken to reverse this trend. We should not be complacent to leave the standards as they are and

there is no reason in a country as advanced as America that we should have to accept it. While

this does for the most part seem to be a valid argument, there is no mention of cultural

differences between different countries that impact these numbers. Jacobs and Morone have

called on all of society to recognize the problems which exist in our country and then do

something about it. They want us all to get involved in the process and make positive changes

that impact lives. The authors insist that ethically we should be making changes to fix the level

of inequality within America and working together to fix the level of poverty. Poverty is

certainly an ongoing issue in this country that needs to be addressed from the top of the country

at the government level, all the way down to the community level where all cities and towns are

working together across America to make these changes happen. Then, they suggest that

logically we should be working to improve education in America as well as making it more

easily available. Education is an essential path for many people and ways should be explored to

make it available to more people, but the authors should also acknowledge that there are some
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programs in place to offer financial help to those who want it and need it. Also, there is no

reference made to people in this country who have achieved so much with lower levels of

education.

Jacobs and Morone argue that one of the causes of a lower life expectancy in America is

due to the inequality in peoples lives, stating that research shows, The wider the inequality the

worse the nations overall health. (A20-A21). They went on to explain that people at the lower

rungs of the societal ladder face more hardship which in turn leads to more stress and

physiological harm. In addition, the middle-class scramble to get ahead erodes neighborly

feelings, frays our communities, and lowers trust in institutions like churches and governments.

(A20-A21). Jacobs and Morone claim that even half steps through small changes in government

legislation can add up to important changes. An example of this is when the Robert Wood

Johnson Foundation induced state government to place health-care clinics directly in schools.

(A20-A21). This helped children who wouldnt normally have access to medical care, gain the

ability to have it. I agree that it is a great idea for children to have easy access to necessary

medical care regardless of their families level of income. However, I have concerns that the

authors did not take all factors into consideration when they determined what they believed were

the causes for the lower life expectancy rates in America. There were no references in the article

as to cultural differences such as the typical American diet, higher obesity rates of Americans, or

our more sedentary life styles as compared to other cultures, and other differences in America

that may cause a direct comparison with other countries to be questionable. The authors also

discussed poverty to be a cause of poor life expectancy rates in America. Per the U.S. Census

Bureau, Of our 34.6 million poor citizens, more than 14 million are severely poor. (A20-A21).

The impoverished population have many concerns such as food, insecurity, homelessness, higher
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crime rates, inferior schools, and many more. The New England Journal of Medicine reports,

The leading cause of death in poor black neighborhoods are unrelenting stress, cardiovascular

disease, cancer, and untreated medical conditions. (A20-A21). The cause of this stress coming

from their living conditions and their inability to rise out of those places. The occupants in these

areas are more likely to abuse alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. These dangerous choices lead

to shorter life spans. Poverty is something I feel strongly about. The fact that so many

Americans live in these poor conditions is frightening. I think communities need to work

together with churches, charity organizations, and government agencies to help people who

require our assistance. The authors express they have another solution which would be investing

in our education system.

Jacobs and Morone declare that we should be taking steps to make education more

available to all people because doing so, increases the number of skilled laborers and helps

workers help themselves. (A20-A21). Workers who can more easily seek education can pull

themselves out of the conditions they face, such as poverty, which contribute to lower life

expectancy rates. The authors state that our cost of education is so high in America that there are

fewer skilled workers which in turn causes companies to have to pay higher prices to employ

these workers. I am in complete agreement that education is important and should be made more

easily available to everyone who wants to pursue that path. The one question I have is that the

article does not make any reference to programs that are in place such as financial aid, grants,

and scholarships that are available to students. When I was reading the article, it sounded more

like college was only an option for people who had money. Also, there was no mention at all

about people who had climbed the ranks within a company or a field and were doing very well

without the formal education. My own father was not able to finish college and has done very
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well working up to a senior level Software Developer for a power company. I also know people

who have no interest in going to college, and are perfectly happy working in the jobs that do not

require a formal education. They may not be considering all the reasons we experience these

issues.

Jacobs and Morone stated several valid concerns that contribute to the lower life

expectancy rates in America. This country is currently experiencing many problems with

inequality, poverty, and the health care system. The authors also discuss many viable solutions

to these issues through legislative changes, education, and economic relief through taxes.

Overall, I do agree with the writers and could see how these changes would make a positive

change in America. My main concern with the writing is that they have narrowed the reasons for

the lower life expectancy rates in America into three categories and then compared it to other

countries without considering cultural differences.

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Work Cited

Jacobs R. Lawrence and Morone A. James Health and Wealth: Our Appalling Health

Inequality Reflects and Reinforces Societys Other Gaps. The American Prospect,
June 2004 A20-A21.