Speculation on why the poor are poor (and criminally inclined)

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Speculation on why the poor are poor (and criminally inclined) 03.04.04 (9:05 pm)   [edit] This is merely speculation, stereotyping, and generalizing. Please take no offense, I could be easily lumped into the category of poor myself. This is also by no means profound or a unique concept. Alright, now that I've provided a disclaimer, I was considering the reasons poor people generally remain poor (or perhaps why they are poor to begin with). In general, a lack of money can be attributed to a low level of education. Without extensive education, a person is less eligible for work that pays well. The jobs requiring less education are mostly manual labor, physically draining. This physical drain in turn becomes an emotional drain, when the person finds himself exhausted from work with little to show for it, unable to make ends meet. When a person is drained physically and emotionally, they tend to desire some form of escape from the pressures of day to day life. This accounts for why many lower class citizens are perhaps more prone to alcoholism or taking up other addictive vices such as cigarette smoking or illegal drugs. These things are expensive. The person, once acquiring an addiction, begins to spend most of his money on making sure he has his vices. "Necessities" no longer refer to food and basic needs, but to whatever the person's escape of choice is. The person also feels justified in putting so much money into his vice because he works hard and feels that he deserves the treat. When the habit gets out of hand and his finances continually dwindle, he begins to resort to any means necessary to acquire his drug of choice. It's a downward spiral that generally gets out of hand and society pays for it. It is no surprise that the majority of those considered poor, or of the lower social class, align themselves with the Democratic Party, if any at all. Afterall, the Democrats pride themselves on appealing to and fighting for the working class, or the working poor. They seek to provide social safety nets to these citizens- ways to protect them when they find themselves out of work or out of money. Much debate has centered around the effectiveness of these programs and whether they actually help the poor or merely provide a crutch. Today at work (I work in a grocery store (hardly a well-paying job, I might add)), a man in his 40s, I would guess, came through my line buying groceries with food stamps. Before I finished ringing him up, my manager came over and confronted the man- apparently he had tried to steal 4 packs of cigarettes. Shoplifting isn't a crime based in malice, but generally an act of desparation (unless you're a teenager seeking some excitement or trying to be cool). Chances are, this man has worked low-paying jobs requiring physical labor his entire life and this has caused his desparation. So there's the explanation- working menial jobs leads to feeling desparate leads to criminal behavior, in extreme cases- but what is the [i]reason[/i] for this? You don't have to be a genius to see that participating in this line of behavior is harmful to you, I don't think. So why is it that so many become desparate enough to steal or commit other crimes to attain their desired escape? I am amazed at how so many people seem so complacent to go along with what they are surrounded by without questioning anything. A child reared in a home where Christianity is practiced will most likely grow up continuing to worship the Christian God, whereas if he was born to Buddhist parents, he would be more likely to practice Buddhism. A child reared in a home where drugs are abused more often than not will grow up to abuse drugs himself. With religion, it is more understandable that the child will retain his parents' beliefs, as they are more likely to be seen as beneficial to the person. But a child surrounded by drug addicts and/or alcoholics will likely see the dangers associated with these acts. Yet many seem to indulge in similar behaviors themselves. Is it genetic, is it simply due to loyalty, is it a lack of will that causes this complacency? Or is it a result of familial socialization- the child brought up in a home where drugs are often used learns this behavior? perhaps it is due to all of these factors, but there must be something more. The problem, as I see it, lies in neglect of responsibility. A person who has to choose between paying his rent or indulging in some escapist behavior either acts responsibly or irresponsibly, it's as simple as that. The person who decides that cigarettes are as much a necessity as bread is makes that choice, and must be responsible for his choices. This is why the debate over welfare programs is waged- does it really help people to give them handouts when they negate their responsibilities? Perhaps that is a bit harsh, as it is not necessarily a lack of responsibility that results in a person being poor. Not all who seek the benefits of the welfare system are irresponsible and not all indulge in unnecessary or illegal behaviors. But many do. And society pays.   posted by: WinstonSmith (reply) post date: 03.04.04 (7:46 pm) When someone is miserably poor, little things like cigarettes can take on a tremendous importance. You are right about education-- and the vital importance of education in enabling someone to rise-up. During the 1950s-to-early-1960s, our educational system was the envy of the world-- Many of our greatest scientists (who worked on the Space Program, etc.) were educated in our public school system. The repugs are turning us into a 3rd world nation and it is becoming harder to get a good education. Look at the useless pointless Shrub who only got into Yale due to legacy points (affirmative action for the rich) after having been rejected from Texas Law School. He is the mind of a pre-pubescent teenager but is able to rise due to his family name and connections-- Otherwise, he would be wiping toilets in WalMart-- and seeking cigarettes-- although apparently alcohol & drugs were his substance-abuse of choice when he was AWOL from Vietnam. We need to strive for a society in which we invest in our people-- and permit them the opportunity for good education-- instead of the 3rd world junta, Bush is turning us into. ... Lack of responsibility can be seen especially amongst the wealthiest Americans who refuse to fulfill their obligations and responsibilities to the society, without which they could not have propered.-- Thanks :)WIN posted by: therealspartacus007 (reply) post date: 03.04.04 (8:35 pm) Reply to: WinstonSmith "repugs"? typo? I agree- we need to "invest in people" A Bush-controlled education is hardly the way to go about it. An American who earned their wealth through trading and not stealing has already, by definition, repaid their debts. posted by: therealspartacus007 (reply) post date: 03.04.04 (8:37 pm) I have no idea why people feel compelled to steal things they don't need. It's just refusal to think, I suppose. Ultimatly, a bad decision is the fault of the person who made it. BTW, this is why you should stay in school ;) posted by: DragonBait22 (reply) post date: 03.04.04 (8:55 pm) Reply to: therealspartacus007 :( But I can't afford to stay in school. posted by: newbie (reply) post date: 03.04.04 (8:56 pm) The poor are poor because they have no ambition. posted by: DragonBait22 (reply) post date: 03.04.04 (9:09 pm) Reply to: newbie I think that's overstating it a bit. I have lots of ambition, but I'm still poor. It's difficult to overcome obstacles such as being from a poor family and being unable to afford an education. Without an education, it is difficult to get a job paying enough to cover your bills, much less elevate you from the status of being poor. posted by: mblog (reply) post date: 03.05.04 (9:31 am) Education can be part of the problem, but it's bigger than that. It's a question of integration of all elements into society. The Jews of Europe were segregated from mainstream population for many centuries. They remained educated, but still very poor. They were in ghettos in the literal sense. They were not allowed to leave or find jobs or even socialize with Christians. Education is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient one. Those societies prospered when given freedom. (That led to bigger problems of racism but that's another issue.) In the U.S. we have what are called ghettos. They are ghettos in the racial and economic sense, but what is "forcing" people to live there is economics. They are theoretically free to live somewhere else but cannot for pragmatic reasons. The school systems are inadequate to fix the problems because of a lack of social integration. When I went to a large urban high school, classes were segregated. There were classes for black, classes for Italian Americans, classes for Jews, etc. There were official names for the classes such as honors classes or modified classes, but peer pressure was the driving force. If your friends teased you about trying to be what you are not, and mom and dad could not help you with your calculus homework because they never had that opportunity as students, you will end up in a class with your peers where you feel comfortable. Likewise, if all your friends are in the honors classes, it would be embarrassing not to be there too. Your parents expect you to do as well as your friends. Too many people try to solve these problems by studying the poor. Studying the rich is also a good idea. Somebody like George Bush can go out and make millions not because of talent, but because of knowledge of that realm. As for growing up without questioning, that's not true of all the groups you mentioned. Christians generally will grow up to worship Jesus. I know plenty of Buddhists, and most came from other countries. They adapted their lives to our culture, and, while Buddhism has not disappeared from their lives, it's far from true that they grew up without questioning anything. Their belief system never prohibited questioning but encouraged it. If most of what you learned essentially centered around treating people and animals with respect, and trying to better yourself as a person, is it likely that you will have rejected that? Most have not. Some have. That's particularly true of the segment of the immigrant community composed of refugees who came over without parents. Many of them (certainly not all and perhaps not most) turned to crime or drugs not because it was the what their parents did but because they were yanked from a society and left on their own without needed guidance. Those Buddhists who became Buddhists later in life to seek some sort of spiritual meaning tend to embrace things at a different level, but those I know who were brought up with those beliefs are different. They consider themselved Buddhist, but don't tend to go to temple unless somebody dies, and it's not a big part of everyday life. Except of course that they don't go around killing people or getting into fights or those types of things. If you lived with them for years, Buddhism might not even come up unless you bring it up. But a surprising number have "turned" to Christianity. It's not that they truly embrace it. But if they want to marry a Christian, they will probably "convert." When you come from a culture that is not zealous and accepts the idea of a middle ground, the idea of going with the flow is not a tough concept to embrace. But they don't really become "Christians." They are told that they are supposed to accept Jesus, and believe certain things, and they go to the classes and get splashed with water, but then they go on with their lives. I know one man who converted after he was rescued at sea after escaping Vietnam. He went on to marry and have children, but his own children were not aware that their dad is a Christian until I mentioned it, and two of them are in their teens. Actually, many Christians are not "Christian" in the sense that the religious right uses is. Those who live in very integrated areas (in a religious sense) tend not to be zealots about it. While they go along with being called Christians, and will probably marry in churches and have a Christmas tree, it's not a dominant part of their lives. If you consider that only 36% of Americans attend a religious service more than once a month, and you consider the large pockets of this country where religious zealoutry is endemic, that leaves a tremendous lot of people who claim to be of a religion but are not truly embracing it without question. About 45% of Americans considered themselves "born again" according to a survey I read that is most likely outdated by now. But if only 3/4 of them were going to Church regularly, that would mean that the rest of the country hardly goes at all on a regular basis. posted by: OoLostentity (reply) post date: 03.07.04 (5:59 pm) Damn..cant believe instead of stealing soemthing important, he stole cigarrettes posted by: blondebondgirl (reply) post date: 03.08.04 (12:50 pm) Interesting.... posted by: DragonBait22 (reply) post date: 03.09.04 (4:18 pm) Reply to: mblog I think you're right that the integration of all into a society is an important element in the reason poor people typically remain poor, and why it is difficult to overcome the life situation you are born into. I was thinking about my high school and realized that it wasn't like many schools in the country, as there was only one school for the entire city (very small "city," obviously). So there was integration of everyone. Among my core group of friends, almost all of them had at least one parent that was either a doctor or a professor. They were all quite wealthy, I was not. I never really thought much about it, though, it's just the way it was. However, there was in general a segregation of various groups of people; something caused by the students themselves rather than the education system. Perhaps it's just in our nature to join with people we conceive of being the same as us- race, sex, social status, interests, talents, etc., and maybe that accounts for why so many tend to segregate themselves from other groups of people. Growing up without questioning isn't entirely what I meant. I just find it odd that so many grow up keeping the same beliefs or values or ideas or habits as their parents and their society. Of course it's possible to question all these things and still maintain them. The main reason I find this odd is that there are few things I have adopted from my family or society, other than genetic traits. I have different religious ideas, different values, different views on life, I haven't adopted the same bad habits as my parents/family (with the exception of alcohol on occasion), and I don't even speak with a southern accent, even though I've lived in the south my whole life. I don't think there's anything about me that is so different from anyone else; perhaps I just decided I didn't like those things and others have decided they do like them, so they adopt the same traits as their family or society. But it seems like there must be something else. If you grow up watching your parents abuse drugs and see the harmful effects of them, why would you decide to use them as an adult? As far as religious beliefs go, I think, in general, there is a lot of pressure placed on children by their parents to adopt their religious beliefs. This is actually a major reason why I find religion absurd (that is, the most basic, literal functions of religion). Considering that, for most, their religious beliefs depend on where they were born and to whom, the possibility of any one religion being absolutely true is extremely unlikely. It makes little sense to devote yourself so fully to an idea that would be very different if you were born in a different country. posted by: DragonBait22 (reply) post date: 03.09.04 (4:20 pm) Reply to: OoLostentity Well, I suppose they were just the easiest things to steal (or so he thought). To top that, yesterday we had a lady steal a container with donations to aid the medical costs of a local man. It doesn't get much lower than that. posted by: DragonBait22 (reply) post date: 03.11.04 (6:31 pm) Reply to: autumnsnow The problem is, statistics such as those are misleading. It is difficult to say with absolute certainty that the vast majority of those on Welfare do not abuse the system, as the only statistics available would be resigned to only showing the number of people that are known to have abused the system, or I suppose they could estimate the percentage expected to abuse the system. So it's not entirely accurate, and Welfare fraud is something that is likely to occur much more frequently than it is caught. It's easy to abuse the system, or at least take advantage of it. Of course there are many who receive Welfare in dire situations who use it honestly and only as a means of getting back on their feet, but does the overall effect of Welfare programs really benefit society? That's a question that could be much debated, I'm sure. You're absulutely right that drugs, crime, and poverty all play on one another, and I'd really like to figure out why exactly that is. There are plenty of possibilities, but it seems like there should be some sort of solution. Your Name: Your Comment:

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