Source: The Wall Street Journal (free link).
The writer makes a fair point, but I wonder how many people actually believe that poverty causes crime. More than a few, I imagine, without really knowing.
One hears the contention from time to time that poverty causes political revolt. Or one hears sad stories about desperate moms who steal formula to nourish their infants. I often associate such things with marxian preoccupations. That is, people who are convinced that the Hegelian “shtruggle” is real tend to look for ways to dramatize it.
Still, the pristine question remains: If we have laws, do we not then, automatically, need law enforcement? I think we do, without apology, and just as much to help the poor as anyone else.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
Does it make sense to say that poverty is a contributing factor?
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I suppose it could. Depends on the argument and the purpose for which it is crafted. A similar argument might be that wealth is a contributing factor.
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Not sure about wealth being a contributing factor. But living in poverty can, and some times does, lead to criminal activity. Including drug dealing and petty theft.
I do agree that laws need to be enforced. But fairly and equally, which does not always occur.
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RE: “But living in poverty can, and some times does, lead to criminal activity.”
Is that a fact? WSJ’s writer doesn’t think so, and I’m skeptical.
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“WSJ’s writer doesn’t think so, and I’m skeptical.”
Neither you nor him would appear to have any experience with poverty on a personal level.
Plus, he appears to be a big fan of Thomas Sowell, who says a lot of the same things concerning poverty.
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How would you know, and what possible difference does Thomas Sowell make?
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You have a tone about you that tells me you have always known where your next meal was coming from and that the heat wasn’t going to be turned off because you couldn’t pay your bills.
As far as Sowell goes, the author of your piece wrote a biography of him titled “Maverick”…
And in my defense, I did say “would appear”. But if you are sitting in a high white tower proclaiming you understand poverty and the people who live in it, then by all means, get your panties bunched up over my observation.
Bottom line is, Mr. Riley seems to be saying that poverty is not to be blamed for crime. Sounds to me like he is out of touch with those living in it. And my first point was that it can be a contributing factor. To say it doesn’t make sense to blame poverty for crime is disingenuous. – IMO
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RE: “You have a tone about you…”
You assume too much.
RE: “As far as Sowell goes…”
Riley didn’t mention him, so there is no reason for you to.
RE: “To say it doesn’t make sense to blame poverty for crime is disingenuous.”
You are welcome to make an argument, if you can. So far you haven’t.
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“You assume too much.”
OK, prove me wrong. Tell me your story. Otherwise, your words betray your ability to understand anyone who has lived below the poverty line.
“Riley didn’t mention him, so there is no reason for you to.”
It was a reference to the AUTHOR’S background. If it wadded your panties, SO WHAT?
If you took just a second every once in a while to verify the background of some of those you post, you might learn something about them. And yourself.
“You are welcome to make an argument”…
My point is that to NOT partly blame poverty as a reason for crime is ignoring reality. You are good at that, so I am not surprised that you don’t understand. Or refuse to.
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It would appear to me that it doesn’t really matter what state of wealth you are in, motivations are widely varied depending on which crime is being committed and by whom. Lumping all “crime” into a neat little package to explanation why “poor” people commit crimes is disingenious since there are many different types of crimes. There are plenty of people who aren’t destitute who steal from Walmart just because they can and I would bet they far outnumber the “poor”.
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Well put.
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“. Lumping all “crime” into a neat little package to explanation why “poor” people commit crimes”…
To discount the effect poverty has on crime is what is disingenuous. It is not to blamed for it all, but to discount it, seems blind. – IMO
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RE: “To discount the effect poverty has on crime is what is disingenuous.”
How so? Do you know what disingenuous means?
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Who cares?
You and Bob only have the points on your heads so that you cannot believe or give credence to anything I have said.
Two rich white men who have never had to worry about a meal, a house, heat or any other things that people who live in poverty have to contend with.
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The point is even if you could lift everyone out of poverty, it would have little effect on crime as a whole. Same crimes different motivation by the same people. Next excuse??
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” Same crimes different motivation by the same people.”
The racial animosity is buried, but not very deep. “same people”? Which people are those?
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Uh, the poor? Stop being the typical racist that lies not so deep in your soul.
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This is what you posted.
“The point is even if you could lift everyone out of poverty, it would have little effect on crime as a whole. Same crimes different motivation by the same people.”
If everyone is lifted out of poverty, the poor don’t exist. So who ARE the “same people” of which you speak?
And you attempting to classify me as racist wouldn’t be so funny if it weren’t a classic deflection technique that you attempt to employ every time you are called our for saying something that is potentially racist.
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Bank fraud, tax evasion, securities and wire fraud are mostly crimes by those who certainly can’t blame poverty.
Instead of using a gun, they use a computer and often destroy lives just as well.
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Adam, get some help. Your delusional racial babbling is really getting out of hand. Poor people =same people=poor people and so on. I didn’t mention or imply race, only you did. Grow up and disconnect yourself from racist drama.
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