Some say apartheid. Wealth, more than race, produces disparities of all kinds, from infant mortality rates to S.A.T. scores. But in the US, money and race have always been related. In the past, when families encountered difficulties, communities provided supports, especially for children. Today, economic forces mean neither families nor communities play together.
Families lack time, money, or both.
Communities have been replaced by interest groups. Some of those interest groups have economic and political muscle, some don't. Yet, children are far more numerous, and one of five lives in a below poverty line household, one in four in the pre-school age group. Similarly, environmentalists battle industry and pro-growth forces over wetlands and ancient forests. Meanwhile urban environments deteriorate and poor urban dwellers face disproportionate risks due to environmental hazards.