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    Starman's Avatar
    Starman Posts: 1,308, Reputation: 135
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    #1

    Jun 14, 2003, 07:49 AM
    Poverty is one cause
    Since the USA government knows that one significant cause of crime in the United States is severe poverty, why doesn't it whipe it out? It has the ability. But instead, it prefers to BILLIONS of tax dollars to foreign aid.


    Why?
    ajackson's Avatar
    ajackson Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #2

    Jul 22, 2003, 09:01 AM
    poverty is one cause
    Hi;

    If you wiped out poverty, there would still be crime ::)
    EVS's Avatar
    EVS Posts: 93, Reputation: 3
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    #3

    Feb 13, 2004, 06:40 AM
    poverty is one cause
    Hi

    I am from South Africa where we have the highest crime rates in the world, however I will state that poverty is one source of crime because of the shear need involved, it is not the entire end all and be all. White collar crime is on the increase and it does not even mean that there is a need, or poverty.

    One country that has eradicated poverty at one time was Malawi, and if you look at it today it is rife with crime.

    >:(
    ajackson's Avatar
    ajackson Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #4

    Feb 14, 2004, 08:06 AM
    poverty is one cause
    Read my lips: even if you wiped out poverty, it would not stop people from committing crime. :-/
    JimGunther's Avatar
    JimGunther Posts: 436, Reputation: 38
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    #5

    May 27, 2004, 02:36 AM
    poverty is one cause
    You are incorrect in the assumption that poverty is a cause of crime. The overwhelming majority of poor people are not criminals. Crime is caused by people who make the decision to do wrong to others in ways prohibited by law. The various factors that lead up the decision the person makes to commit a crime may be related to the fact that they do not have enough resources to obtain everything they want, but this fact in itself does not remove their ability to tell right from wrong.

    I am an ex-police officer and have been a probation officer for seven years. Most of the people I have dealt with are poor, have a low-level education, and often have drug, alcohol, or other related problems. Most of them did not commint their crime because they were poor, but because they thought they could get away with it and did not have the moral strength to resist the temptation.

    Saying poverty causes crime is like saying guns cause murder. Someone has to make the conscious choice to pull the trigger or commit the crime.
    JimGunther's Avatar
    JimGunther Posts: 436, Reputation: 38
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    #6

    May 27, 2004, 02:43 AM
    poverty is one cause
    Let me add a bit more to my previous comments. The government does not have the power to wipe out poverty because people have the choice to decide what they are going to do with their lives and how they are going to live them. In this country, we have wiped out poverty to the extent that a poor person on welfare in this country is living at a high standard of living compared to other countries like China and North Korea, for example, where kids live in the street and starve to death because the government allows this to happen. We have social protections to ensure that this does not happen in this country.

    If a person decides to drop out of high school, commit crimes, or ruin their lives with drugs or alcohol, they will quite likely end up in poverty. This is the choice they made, and our government does not control these types of personal life choices. Therefore poverty will remain as long as people continue to make these types of choices in their lives.
    ajackson's Avatar
    ajackson Posts: 11, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    Jun 22, 2004, 09:34 AM
    poverty is one cause
    Mr. Gunther is right on point
    serialwife's Avatar
    serialwife Posts: 117, Reputation: 16
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    #8

    May 16, 2005, 08:30 PM
    Okay so lets just hypothetically take a look a Wilson's "Broken Window's Theory". The grand theory was that crime was higher in impoverished areas because they were poor and simply didn't care. So these areas were allowed to run down and criminals flocked to these areas. Hence the whole broken windows crack house image. So the city of New York (thanks Guliani) decided to clean up the Ghettos to stop crime to help them get reasonable housing and get rid of the crack houses with broken windows. As they cleaned these area thus increasinf self worth and helping create an economy the crime simply spread into the newly created area and into other neighborhoods.
    I am from Eastern Kentucky poverty doesn't cause crime... it cause a cycle of welfare dependants.l
    mike145k's Avatar
    mike145k Posts: 123, Reputation: -1
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    #9

    Jun 30, 2005, 07:36 PM
    Crime every where
    My dear friends do not forget that crime has many faces,it comes from everywhere it comes from a cigarrette smoker ,pot smoker.junk food eater.even a girl cannot dress they way she wants no more low cut pants that shows the belly button.I tell you my friends the list goes on and under all of this lies the real crime,you see the gove,with all its rules has raised the crime rate.
    fredg's Avatar
    fredg Posts: 4,926, Reputation: 674
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    #10

    Jul 1, 2005, 06:34 AM
    Poverty
    Hi,
    I wholeheartedly agree with your statement about spending billions of dollars in foreign aid.
    Charity begins at home...
    This has been forgotten by Senators and Representatives.
    Until the American public demands a different approach to help those in our own United States FIRST, then it will not change. The American public can change course of events, but only if there are enough voters to do it.
    For example; Senior Citizens are beginning to have an impact on voting, after many, many years; cause there are now more of us who have the same problems with the government.
    Some day, it might change, but only if enough voters fight.
    Congress only listens to the votes they receive, or are predicted to receive.
    Best wishes,
    fredg
    magprob's Avatar
    magprob Posts: 1,877, Reputation: 300
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    #11

    Dec 22, 2005, 09:46 AM
    Poverty
    Simply because certain people project lack into their reality does not mean that they are criminal. These are two completely different things.
    All dogs are animals but not all animals are dogs.
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #12

    Dec 22, 2005, 10:50 AM
    Poverty
    So you are saying that poor people are dishonest??

    How sad a though and how wrong. Most poor people are the best and most generous people you will find. It is not the poor people but the greedy and lazy people. The ones who don't want to work for a living.

    Most criminals make a fairly good living stealing and selling drugs, they are not poor by any means. So why after they get out of debt don't they stop stealing and selling drugs and get a regular job??

    It is the fact they don't want to live at a lower level working at McDonalds or hauling frieght at UPS. They want to drive nice cars, have lots of fancy girls and do what they want.

    Even the other level, the steet people, many of the beggers earn 200 to 300 dollars a day ( this was in Atlanta a few years ago) but they blow the money before the day is over and will still steal to add to their needs.

    Sorry but you have bought into a steriotype that is not true.
    It is like most people in West Virginia all marry their cousins, there are a lot of people preaching a lot of false ideas to help them in their political movement, truth has little to do with most of them
    heladoman's Avatar
    heladoman Posts: 23, Reputation: 3
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    #13

    Dec 22, 2005, 11:54 PM
    In my opinion when a person losses the ability to see the difference between right and wrong, he/she is more likely to commit crime. Economics have very little play here. I've known people that have good jobs and make good money, but still think getting a baseball bat and beating others unconscious is normal behavior.
    mariamar's Avatar
    mariamar Posts: 12, Reputation: 1
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    #14

    Feb 22, 2006, 05:17 PM
    On my point of vue Poverty, by itself, is not the original cause however, the situation in itself and all the consequences that are inherent to that condition may induce, propitiate criminal behaviours.

    mariamar
    phillysteakandcheese's Avatar
    phillysteakandcheese Posts: 973, Reputation: 356
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    #15

    Feb 22, 2006, 05:27 PM
    A person that commits a crime almost always does so by their own choice (yes, there are some exceptions).

    Rationalizing that choice by saying you are impoverished is just an excuse.
    mariamar's Avatar
    mariamar Posts: 12, Reputation: 1
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    #16

    Feb 22, 2006, 06:22 PM
    Letīs imagine this situation: you (married or not) have a family (your kids);you and your husband were unemployed or you, head of the family, found yourself unemployed.
    Meanwhile, you had your rent to pay, and some more expenses/commitments you had to face... You felt obliged to face your responsabilities and, with all your efforts, you could pay your debts...
    Meanwhile, you had children at home -your children! - and they needed to be fed... Naturally you couldnīt afford to buy steaks nor even cheese to feed them... You were in such a position you couldnīt afford to bring home anything else but bread, for instance...
    Question: For how long would you stand such a situation, looking at your children eyes and assisting to their weakness?.
    Shouldnīt you be tempted to do something less correct?.
    Iīve never did it, because I do not need to do it; but I know I canīt guess my behaviour if I was in such a situation... The only thing I am sure is that I LOVE MY CHILDREN and would do everything to mitigate/comfort their suffering, hunger, famine...

    mariamar ( not a criminal!)
    CaptainForest's Avatar
    CaptainForest Posts: 3,645, Reputation: 393
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    #17

    Feb 22, 2006, 06:27 PM
    You are trying to goat someone into agreeing that stealing is wrong.

    But really, you are just trying to prove a way people rationalize it.

    I for one, would feed my kids. If I couldn't afford it, I would go to a food bank.

    If I stole, and got caught, I would go to prison. Would that be BETTER for my kids? I think not.
    mariamar's Avatar
    mariamar Posts: 12, Reputation: 1
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    #18

    Feb 22, 2006, 06:46 PM
    With all my respect, Captain, I think you misunderstood me.
    I just tried to expose a limit situation... and that is not a crime!
    Concerning Food Banks, I live in Portugal, and they do not exist everywhere.
    By the way, you do not need to be so aggressive with me.
    I feel free to make my reflexions and to think on subjects I may never, ever thought before.
    My cumpliments

    mariamar
    CaptainForest's Avatar
    CaptainForest Posts: 3,645, Reputation: 393
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    #19

    Feb 22, 2006, 07:02 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by mariamar
    With all my respect, Captain, I think you misunderstood me.
    I just tried to expose a limit situation...and that is not a crime!
    Yeah, I kind of picked up on that. You were trying to show that in some cases, it is rationale to steal. I disagree with you on this.

    Quote Originally Posted by mariamar
    Concerning Food Banks, I live in Portugal, and they do not exist everywhere.
    I did not know that. Thank you for enlightening me.

    There are other options if food banks are not an option. You can take your money and spend it on food first. That way you make sure you do indeed have food for your kids.

    Quote Originally Posted by mariamar
    By the way, you do not need to be so aggressive with me.
    I feel free to make my reflexions and to think on subjects I may never, ever thought before.
    I am sorry if you thought I was attacking/being aggressive with you. That was not my intention.

    I simply meant to counter your argument with points from the other side.
    phillysteakandcheese's Avatar
    phillysteakandcheese Posts: 973, Reputation: 356
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    #20

    Feb 22, 2006, 09:44 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by mariamar
    Letīs imagine this situation: you (married or not) have a family (your kids);you and your husband were unemployed or you, head of the family, found yourself unemployed.
    Meanwhile, you had your rent to pay, and some more expenses/commitments you had to face...You felt obliged to face your responsabilities and, with all your efforts, you could pay your debts...
    Meanwhile, you had children at home -your children! - and they needed to be fed...Naturally you couldnīt afford to buy steaks nor even cheese to feed them...You were in such a position you couldnīt afford to bring home anything else but bread, for instance...
    Question: For how long would you stand such a situation, looking at your children eyes and assisting to their weakness?!...
    Shouldnīt you be tempted to do something less correct?...
    Iīve never did it, because I do not need to do it; but I know I canīt guess my behaviour if I was in such a situation...The only thing I am sure is that I LOVE MY CHILDREN and would do everything to mitigate/comfort their suffering, hunger, famine...

    mariamar ( not a criminal!)
    This makes me think of that line from the Simpson's where Flander's parents take him to the doctor and say "We've done nothing, and we're all out of ideas!".

    This is a very hypothetical situation... However - If it were me, I would seek social assistance to ensure my family has at least a roof over their head and food to eat. I would not try and rob the local 7-11.

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