The Wow I Can't Believe That News Story Thread

[Zhanteimi]

Fine. But in the end, it comes down to personal choice.

[John Wilkes Booth]

obviously. but the crime problem is pretty much systematic. i mean yea everything comes down to personal choice but you can create environments where really you should expect to see negative results. you know the thing einstein said about insanity being doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. pretty much sums a lot of our crime problems up.

[Soulflower]

Originally Posted by mordwyr

Being poor doesn't equate to being bad. There's no correlation there. Some of the best people who have ever lived on this earth were poor. Being bad has to do with choosing to be bad. Poverty is just an excuse. (And, yes, I grew up very poor white trash but chose not to go down the road of juvenile delinquency that many of my black and white friends chose.)

Actually there is.

There are higher crime rates in low income neighborhoods and communities stricken by poverty compared to richer communities. That is FACT.



That is largely due to the classicism and racism in this country.

[Zhanteimi]

There is a statistical correlation, but there is no moral correlation. An individual doesn't get a free pass to commit crime simply because he is poor.

[Soulflower]

Originally Posted by mordwyr

There is a statistical correlation, but there is no moral correlation. An individual doesn't get a free pass to commit crime simply because he is poor.

No it does not but it does give us a better understanding as to why there are higher crime rates in these communities.

[GuD]

Originally Posted by mordwyr

Fine. But in the end, it comes down to personal choice.

Not really.

If you grow up poor, surrounded by poverty, never or rarely seeing people you relate to achieve a sense of worth in society, seeing people you relate to targeted for violence, participating in crime, being portrayed as criminals, etc. it's pretty unlikely that you'll think you have alternatives. And that's a pretty understandable, though not excusing, conclusion to make. Choice isn't the issue, it's culture. And your statement is a perfect example of that culture's damaging attitude.

[Zhanteimi]

Originally Posted by Soulflower

No it does not but it does give us a better understanding as to why there are higher crime rates in these communities.

Of course.

Originally Posted by WhateverDude

Not really.

If you grow up poor, surrounded by poverty, never or rarely seeing people you relate to achieve a sense of worth in society, seeing people you relate to targeted for violence, participating in crime, being portrayed as criminals, etc. it's pretty unlikely that you'll think you have alternatives. And that's a pretty understandable, though not excusing, conclusion to make. Choice isn't the issue, it's culture.

Really, actually.

I was surrounded by and grew up knowing only one thing -- my life as an adult now in no way resembles the rest of my extended family or the community I once lived in. I broke away and made my own decisions. If I can do it, anyone can. If I can create a positive life which is the exact opposite of the childhood environment I grew up in, anyone can.

[Sequoioideae]

All they had to do was charge the officer, he was responsible for the death of a young man which caused riots, and violence. Just think about that, think about it real hard, he's walking around right now without consequence even after all the pain and suffering he's caused. I guarantee you that more people will die because they refused to even charge this man, and he will be responsible for even more bloodshed.

[Soulflower]

Originally Posted by WhateverDude

Not really.

If you grow up poor, surrounded by poverty, never or rarely seeing people you relate to achieve a sense of worth in society, seeing people you relate to targeted for violence, participating in crime, being portrayed as criminals, etc. it's pretty unlikely that you'll think you have alternatives. And that's a pretty understandable, though not excusing, conclusion to make. Choice isn't the issue, it's culture. And your statement is a perfect example of that culture's damaging attitude.

Great post!!!!!!!!

[Zhanteimi]

Originally Posted by Sequoioideae

All they had to do was charge the officer, he was responsible for the death of a young man which caused riots, and violence. Just think about that, think about it real hard, he's walking around right now without consequence even after all the pain and suffering he's caused. I guarantee you that more people will die because they refused to even charge this man, and he will be responsible for even more bloodshed.

Justice cannot be held captive by the mob.