Sorry, but he 'whether or not' has far more to do with with the wealth level of the community than with skin color (although people of color tend to live in poorer areas- itself a disgrace). Predominantly 'white', but poor, areas of throughout the nation face the same risks as predominantly people-of-color communities and are ignored by the powers that be just as often. Racism has less to do with it than does socio-economic level. Things need to be changed nationwide, although, as I said, people-of-color do, unfortunately, tend to live in poorer communities and that's an issue to address, as well. I'm not disagreeing with the premise of this story, just pointing out that all poor Americans suffer being ignored.

Good story to write and publish but I think its focus is a bit too narrow and it would take a far more comprehensive and much longer story to cover the effects on poor communities throughout the entire nation but this story is a good case study in the poor of any color being ignored.

It's definitely time for a change to where all people, rich, middle-class and poor are seen as being of equal value, because we are all of equal value in the eyes of God.

But exposing problems by narrowing them down with individual instances is an excellent way to get a point driven home, as taught in Writing and Rhetoric studies.