No, I see why you say this, but that's not what I'm doing here.

I watched an interview a while ago with a pimp. He'd been involved in drug dealing and robberies etc. since he was 8 years old. 8. Everybody he know his whole life growing up was into some crime or other.

You can say he had a choice, certainly once he became an adult and is responsible for his choices, but we have to acknowledge that it's not the same choice that those of us who are more fortunate have. We have education, we have positive role models, we have experience of life that doesn't involve crime.

I'm not excusing their actions. I'm not saying they shouldn't be punished. I'm saying that even in the ghetto there are degrees of struggle. And primarily I'm saying that solving these problems means going into these communities and helping kids like that 8 year old before they get on that path.