Hi Rich, as you were just saying about Re: racism in America....
RW> RW> Neither of the ones on my book shelf shows poverty CAUSES crime.  If 
RW> RW> it did the crime rate in the poor rural areas would be just as high 
RW> RW> as the poor urban areas.
RW> 
RW> RB> Right, whatever, now as I said, any book you pick up will
RW> RB> show a link between  poverty and crime. 
RW> 
RW> No, not "Right, whatever".  There are no studies nor
RW> papers nor anything else that shows a causal link
RW> between poverty and crime.  It can be disproved by the
RW> facts I point out.  If poverty caused crime the crime
RW> rate in the poor rural areas would be just as high or
RW> even higher then the poor urban areas.  The fact is the
RW> crime rates are not the same therefore there can NOT be
RW> a casual link between poverty and crime.
Not true, mon ami.  You are correct in that poverty cannot be the
*only* cause of crime.  If it was, your response would be valid as it
would if it were *never* a factor.  The problem is that poverty is
possibly a *contributing* factor to crime and, IMHO, a small one at
that.  There is no current study, that I am aware of, that completely
removes it as a factor or judges just how much of a factor it is.  
The other part of the problem is defining what all parties mean by
'poverty'.  Do you mean just the financial condition on an individual
or family basis or do you mean geographic area within a city or a
country or do you mean people who happen to be poor and have lost
their family values or.......? 
Now, I agree that the majority of the problems that cause crime come
out of the inner cities.  Most of that is due (IMHO) to overcrowding,
lack of education, poor inner city infrastructure and a loss of family
values.  Now, by family values, I do not mean having a mommy and a
daddy.  I mean a strong family leader within the family core regardless
of gender or sexual orientation who will ensure the kids get fed, get
to school and can, themselves, hold a job for a period of longer than a
couple of months.
RD 
sandman@azstarnet.com 
http://www.azstarnet.com/~sandman
A well-educated Congress being necessary for the governing of a free
state, the right of the people to read and write books shall not be
infringed.
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 X KWQ/2 1.2i X Only the mediocre are always at their best.
--- Maximus/2 3.01
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