General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: White American male with a weapon who believes in his own superiority kills in order to feel powerful [View all]Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)Hispanics, for instance, have a similar poverty rate, but a significantly lower murder rate. The two groups have both experienced racism in America, but they have different histories with it. Maybe that explains some of it.
Poverty is certainly part of it. It makes every stress and strain worse, every problem more insoluble, and the need to make a few bucks more desperate.
I don't know about the rest of it, but we seem to produce some really fucked up kids--of all colors--and there is one observation I will make: It seems to run in families. Dad goes to prison, son goes to prison. And his son goes to prison. I see that a lot among my poor white contemporaries, and I see that a lot in other communities, too.
We have to break that pipeline somehow. Part of it's poverty, racism, and a horrendously unfair criminal justice system, but not all of it. Why do some families deal with that by inter-generational criminality and others don't?
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I don't have a lot of money, but I haven't had to kill anybody myself because I couldn't afford to hire an assassin. You?
Yeah, I agree that rich white guys can get away with mass murder. So do rich leaders of other colors. Ask the Saudis.