When people from the housing projects got /get moved out (Chicago: apartment, high crime)

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by via chicago

So because someone is poor, that means they are predisposed to a criminal lifestyle? I think many would take offense with that "obvious" assumption. There is this thing called white collar crime as well. The difference is rich folks can hire fancy lawyers and get themselves out of messes. The same can't be said for those at the bottom.

You're right in that it's unfair to summarily dismiss someone as a criminal because they are poor. But the correlation between low income levels and crime, poor schools, blight, and other social ills cannot be denied. I think there's considerably more difference between the poor and middle and upper middle income groups than mere access to lawyers.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by BRU67

But the correlation between low income levels and crime, poor schools, blight, and other social ills cannot be denied.

Well which came first, the chicken or the egg?

[Mamama Mia]

Originally Posted by via chicago

Well which came first, the chicken or the egg?

For school districts mobility and income level are the factors that most impact academic success. It's not my stat, just a fact.
In a bit different vein, do you believe "white flight" is as much a national phenomenon as it is one that occurs in Chicago and the suburban area?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

Good Lord. This defies all common sense and reason. My view of the stereotypical classic American is that they would starve themselves to death before accepting public aid, but I guess that's something I got from the books I read as a kid...

The fairly (I am not saying all or a huge majority either) common urban black person is not at all like the "stereotypical classic American." There is your answer.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by BRU67

As always, I respect your opinion but I must respectfully disagree and express that people do use Section 8 as a racial code word. If your stats were vice versa (i.e. 86% of blacks are Section 8) then I'd understand. As it sits, it is unfair to equate one's race to being on the public teat.

Well most of the people on the pubic "teat" in the city of Chicago with many programs are Black and to a lesser degree Hispanic. The facts do not lie.

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Well most of the people on the pubic "teat" in the city of Chicago with many programs are Black and to a lesser degree Hispanic. The facts do not lie.

Do you have a link to back up your facts? I tried looking it up myself, but I had no luck

[At1WithNature]

Originally Posted by via chicago

So because someone is poor, that means they are predisposed to a criminal lifestyle? I think many would take offense with that "obvious" assumption. There is this thing called white collar crime as well. The difference is rich folks can hire fancy lawyers and get themselves out of messes. The same can't be said for those at the bottom.

obviously if you are poor, you have a greater chance of being involved with crime. just the facts. read the article.

and as previously stated, are you really comparing intelligent people who work for companies like Enron to all of the crackheads who run a muck in the ghettos?! most of the people in the ghetto spend more time thinking about blunts, crack, sherm sticks, and ways to get more hand outs than they do thinking about getting a job.

two totally different classes of criminals...they could not be farther apart from each other. there's a reason why most white collar ciminals go to minimum security prisons...and the lawyers have nothing to do with it. it has to do with violent tendencies, crimes, and criminal history.

[aragx6]

Well the bastards at Enron ruined just as many, and quite possibly more lives than any thug in prison for 10+ years for dealing crack.

Neither of those two offenses are violent.

[At1WithNature]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Well the bastards at Enron ruined just as many, and quite possibly more lives than any thug in prison for 10+ years for dealing crack.

Neither of those two offenses are violent.

do you want to compare the impact on people's lives of Enron collapsing to crack dealers? crack ruins a thousand times as many families as Enron ruined.

bottomline line is criminals in the ghetto are often violent while they don't call it white collar crime for nothing.

i get what you are saying though. those responsible for Enron are where they belong...in Prison!

[ajolotl]

Do people still deal crack? It sounds so 80s.