03-31-2022, 04:49 PM
(03-31-2022, 02:04 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: You'd almost think there'd be some sort of correlation between socioeconomic inequalities and crime, especially violent crime.
I don't know that this has ever been argued against, and you and I have had this discussion several times. I will say, from my experience, there are two main reasons poor people stay poor; 1. They have children they don't want, cant afford or both. Having children severely curtails your life options, especially for the woman, and is a huge resource drain on both time and money. Yes, I know this sounds like I'm reducing a child to a parasite, but I'm speaking in a general sense and neither of those two facts can be disputed. 2. They don't know things, often basic things, that will help them get ahead as they've never been exposed to them. An easy example is one I've given before, the mother who I personally took to the bank to open a checking account rather than using check cashing "businesses." She thought a checking account was something she couldn't afford, as no one ever educated her on this subject. If you really want to assist the working poor, provide them with lessons like this on things most of us take for granted as general knowledge.
Actually, the second example brought a third to mind, predatory businesses such as the aforementioned check cashing place or the "par day advance loan" scam businesses. It always chaps my ass how many businesses are trying to squeeze every last penny out of people who don't have much to begin with. This, of course, dovetails extremely well with point number two, as having that general knowledge would curtail the use of such predatory businesses.
Lastly, in regard to rising crime rates and the assertion by some that they are caused by LEO's sitting on their hands. The biggest factor, by far, in many jurisdictions are DA's or city attorneys who flat out refuse to do their job. They abuse their prosecutorial discretion to treat the penal code like a salad bar, only taking what they want, when they want it. Before anyone pisses and moans about law enforcement "not doing their job" that same person better be lambasting every soft on crime DA in the country at ten times the rate, at least, or their opinion on the subject is worthless.
