Do you think that poverty is a contributing cause of crime in some areas?

Question

It's ironic really, people are poor so they feel like they have to deal drugs or steal to get ahead, (and it might be true at $8 an hour), so then they are convicted of a felony which ensures that they will never get a job that requires a background check (anything over $8 an hour) "Do we first: create criminals, then punish them?"
should drug charges exclude people from earning a livable wage?

Answer 1

You ask a very very good question.
after all, what would be the purpose of incarceration, and rehabilitation, if you doom them to live on $8 an hour, the exact wage that made them seek "alternative methods of income" in the first place? Even now, we prevent them from having financial aid for college, or welfare when they get caught selling drugs, so what is their direction going to be??

This is an age old question that has never received an answer, because when the question is asked, opponents of drug decriminalization spend millions trying to smear the people asking them.

Yes poverty is a contributing factor of crime. it always has been, and always will be. but it isn't the biggest contributor to drug problems. it is a big one, but not the biggest.
the biggest contributor of crime in reference to drugs, is simple supply and demand.
If someone wants it, there will always be someone ready to supply it to make an income.
even in countries who drag dug dealers out into the streets and shoot them without trial, still have drug dealers running around in their streets, they only make more money doing it.

as any wall street broker knows, the amount of profit of a business venture usually translates to the risk of the venture.
in other words, usually the more profit that can be earned, the more risky the venture is.
the legality of the venture only contributes to its risk or lack of risk, and that in turn contributes to its profitability.


with that being said, drugs being unlawful contributes to their profitability. any person with any knowledge of the basics of supply and demand should recognize this little quark of reality.
the harsher the penalties become, the more profitable the drug is.

Now that the profitablility of the drug as been pushed up by laws squashing supply, it looks more and more like a good idea to people who aren't independantly wealthy, who normally wouldn't consider the possibility of becomeing a drug dealer/manufacturer.
so now, we arne't only causing the value of drugs to increase, we also are indirectly enticing more people to distribute and manufacture them.
if you haven't moticed, drug dealing is more lucrative than a college degree. Why do we spend so much money and time going to college?? to make money, that's why! to increase our standard of living.
Drug dealers are only living the American dream, in away that guarantees it to them, but on the other side of the law.

A drug is a commodity when it is illegal, just like any other commodity.
the only difference is, when police make 30k a year it is easier to convince them to deliver a kilogram of drugs for 1k per delivery, than to pay them to deliver another commodity.

So if you are asking if poverty is a contiubtor of drug related crime, yes it is, but it isn't the greatest factor. the value of the product is. poverty just makes it appear to be a better looking idea to peddle the product.

Answer 2

Poverty has a little to do in 'causing' crime. It usually means easier access to drugs, but today's young do things with a lot more senseless thought than previous generations and start at much younger ages. When busibody politicians get bored, they can come up with ideas that, while it might have sounded good, it can grow into a monster. They 'create criminals' by making more and more rediculous laws that, instead of reducing crime, actually creates criminals out of innocents by making something people do illegal just because some quack politician don't like it.
The degeneration of the family began November 22, 1963. When Lyndon Johnson became president, he and both houses of govt. created the "great society", which became the greatest paradox this nation has ever endured. The Welfare state created by politicians destroyed families, sent fathers into virtual exile, took the rights of raising the kids out of parent's hands, and interfered in civilian life with appalling "rules and regulations". Mostly, that put govt. noses up our excretory orrifices. The results are painfully plain to see. It is absolute proof that 'single parent families' don't work. It created aimless, irresponsible, psychopathic, anti-social kids that were bound not escape poverty, but to ensure they stayed in it. The work ethic was lost as kids grew up 'on the dole'. It became "I don't have to work. The govt. gives me everything." and "If you don't have any money to buy or do anything that needs done, just drink and smoke it up. The govt. will give us more next month." The results? Alcoholic and doped up 13 year olds that have no morals or guidance or hope. It soon spread to middle class, as did the govt. nose into our private lives. The govt. lowered the bar even more with forced school "bussing". The idea was that integrating the races would (some unknown how) expose the less fortunate to the levels of the 'working class' and show them that working for a living is a positive thing that will get you a lot more (whatever) you want out of life. Just the opposite happened, of course, and helped create a larger population of 'poverty cases'.
There are very many people in jails and prisons now who are not real criminals in the strict sense. They were made criminals by arcane and worthless laws that are really trying to interfere with the the tranquil "pursuit of happiness" by those who do the things they make laws against. Kind of like they are saying "Oh, this is too good for the people to be allowed to do. They must "do as I say, not as I do!" because I'm the govt. and I know what's good for the people." ~snort~! Then they elevated themselves 'above the law' so they can do those things and not get busted for it.

Answer 3

You know whats really sad? At the moment a child decides to drop out of school and 'get a job' is when it starts. Or the high school girl decides to get pg.( She decides cause thats what happens when you have sex unprotected or protected and you don't use it) and drops out and the boyfreind doesn't want to support it and she goes on welfare. This is the start of poverty. Where are the parents and where is society saying no way! You stay in school and you don't have sex might be a start?? If an $8 dollar an hour job doesn't do it get 2 jobs!! There is no excuse for the poverty we have in this nation with so many opportunites. The poverty is in the mentality of the people who want something for nothing and then blame everyone and everything else.

Answer 4

Poverty will always lead people to do stupid things like crime because they feel that there's no other way around being poor. And yes drug related offenses should exclude people from making a decent working wage.Society will always have criminals (both white collar and blue collar) it's that most blue collar crimes are done by people trapped in an unflexible social system.

Answer 5

Poverty is diffenately a major factor in crime, look at the kids in the ghetto that see a crack dealer mking 100 grand a year and the honest hard worker making 5.75 per hr. the inspiration to work hard is gone

Answer 6

No, I do not. Poverty is self imposed. Before you children get your feathers in an uproar, I ate everyother day in 1963 so my Mother could eat and work. I worked until 11:00 P.M. and went to school the next day. I know poverty. I have since owned and sold a couple of companies, I have a PHD and I am self sufficient. And I am white, so no one gave it to me. Once again, before you get your panties in a twist, I came up in the 60's and 70's when people forgot about white people.

Answer 7

No because many poor countries do not use the excuse of being poor to create crimes. I am in Santa Cruz Bolivia and have been in Santa Cruz for a total of 6 months and crime here is not as bad as in cesspools like philthydelphia, Washington DC, and other major cities of the USA
In Santa Cruz many people only make $100 a month

Answer 8

Y E S and NO!! It is too many unwed girls,
single parent house holds, Lack of parental skills and displine, Lack of morals or religion,
Not wanting to be educated, Just plain lack of a good school system making people dependant
upon the government for a handout and just plain laziness!!!!!

Answer 9

I think we are all a refection of the environment in which we live and are raised in. If we are raised and nurtured in a constructive atmosphere, we tend to be constructive people. On the other hand, if we are raised amongst liars and thieve's, we are more apt to be peolpe of questionable character. It all comes down to, we all have free will and its ultimately up to each individual to make the right choices in their life, because the only one we have any control over is one's self.

Answer 10

Poverty does not create criminals, if that was the case since the vast majority of the world lives in poverty they would all be criminals. That is not the case.