Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version nyu B notes v1.5 12/10/84; site acf4.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!acf4!mms1646
From: mms1646@acf4.UUCP (Michael M. Sykora)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: (Re:**N) Affirmative Action
Message-ID: <1340230@acf4.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Jun-85 00:34:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: acf4.1340230
Posted: Thu Jun 27 00:34:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Jun-85 01:43:03 EDT
References: <259@kontron.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 21

>/* cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) /  2:53 pm  Jun 21, 1985 */

>To suggest that crime is a response to the lack of economic opportunity
>is implausible.  Perhaps burglary or armed robbery might be argued that
>way, but a lot of ghetto crime is murder, rape, and assault.  There's
>no economic motivation involved.

Crime is not caused by anything.  A criminal makes a decision
to commit a crime.  Doubtless in many cases poor people are influenced
by their precarious economic situation to commit crimes.  But the situation
does not cause them to do it.  Clearly, some poor people are stronger
than others and won't commit crimes.  I can't say for sure that if
I were in the same position I wouldn't steal.

In any event, to the extent that people are tempted to commit crimes
by the promise of greater material wealth, we cannot respond by
giving then our money, as I have seen suggested --  i.e., if only
we gave poor criminals more money they wouldn't rob us.  That would
be absurd.

					Mike Sykora