the American Dream. As Jonathan Kozol writes, quoting Lord Acton, "In a country where there is no distinction of class, a child is not born to the station of its parents, but with an indefinite claim to all the prizes that can be won by thought and labor" (Kozol 83). To deprive any student the opportunity to succeed---or fail---in advancing himself through the community college experience is to deny the essence of what the American Dream has to offer every individual, regardless of socioeconomic status.
2. The quotation is flippant and cold-hearted. Its implications are that every individual must learn to deal with his or her own opportunities and obstacles, and that that individual should not make special claims for special treatment with respect to reducing obstacles or increasing opportunities relative to the general population. The quotation ignores the fact that individuals do not enter or move through the educational process---in and out of the classroom---with equal tools or equal opportunities.
For example, the quotation ignores the fact that many children begin the educational and social process
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