Professor Jody Armour: People Are Bad Because They’re Poor, Not Other Way Around
USC law Professor Jody Armour told me the shooting of Walter Scott isn’t necessarily racial.
…Armour discussed whether or not the shooting of Walter Scott was systemic and a racial incident. “This may be more of an issue of police forces having perhaps too much authority… to shoot fleeing suspects and use deadly force against fleeing suspects. It could be that this officer would’ve done the same thing with a fleeing suspect who was white or Latino or Asian.”
When asked if poverty is the primary reason more blacks are involved in the criminal justice system, Armour said, “Either people are poor because they’re bad, which doesn’t make any sense, or they’re bad because they’re poor. Something about poverty and the pressures of poverty drive people to crime.
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
6 responses to Professor Jody Armour: People Are Bad Because They’re Poor, Not Other Way Around
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Um Cara April 10th, 2015 at 07:27
>Something about poverty and the pressures of poverty drive people to crime.
Something about being wealthy means you are less likely to be convicted for your crimes “Too rich to fail”
illinoisboy1977 April 10th, 2015 at 10:35
I disagree with the professor’s sentiment. I know many poor people who wouldn’t even consider the possibility of committing a crime. Poverty doesn’t make you bad. Disregard for law and order, coupled with a disregard for the suffering of others, makes you bad. “Bad” people come from all walks of life and all economic backgrounds. Instead of excusing bad behavior, we need to get tougher on those who commit it.
Tazru333 April 10th, 2015 at 13:43
All credibility for that stance has been lost a long time ago. *IF* we had jailed those Banksters in 2008, and confiscated their ill-gotten gains, there might be an legitimate argument in favor of “getting tough”.
illinoisboy1977 April 10th, 2015 at 16:05
No credibility has been lost. The bankers did wrong and they should have been held to account. The refusal of the politically-connected to prosecute doesn’t invalidate anything, but their own good names. The issue, here, is people using the “I’m bad because I’m poor” cop-out. It’s a completely bogus argument. Poverty doesn’t cause criminal behavior. Purposeful decisions cause ALL behavior, unless the individual is mentally deficient. The only thing responsible for criminal behavior is the decision of the criminal actor, to engage in such behavior. He/she is the ONLY entity or factor to blame for his/her actions.
My more specific point is that poverty or unfortunate circumstances shouldn’t be considered as “mitigating circumstances”, when deciding the punishment for people who’ve victimized others, due to their purposeful, concscious choices. I have no sympathy for the snot bubble blowing, blubbering, overgrown children who cry and plead for leniency after being convicted for knocking over a convenience store or attacking an innocent person. To hell with ’em. Let them pay dearly, for their refusal to control their impulses.
FatRat April 10th, 2015 at 13:01
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/uploads/monopoly-go-to-jail-card.jpg
Having the MONEY to make bail or not having the MONEY to make bail can mean everything.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/14/america-bail-system-law-rich-poor
“Among defendants arrested in 2008 on non-felony charges and given bail of $1,000 or less, only 13% of defendants were able to post bail at arraignment.”
In other words, 87% of these defendants go to jail.
“If they have you in jail, the power has shifted to the prosecutorial arm of the system, and they can force you to make a plea. If you are out of jail, the power dynamic is completely different. Our research shows that when bail is posted, at least half the cases are going to be dismissed outright and most will result in no jail time at all. This is why prosecutors fight so desperately for bail.
“Bail is used as ransom to extract a guilty plea. Fact.”
“Studies going back as far as the 1960s show that defendants who are held pretrial are offered harsher plea offers than similarly situated defendants who are out on bail.”
Considering that 99.6% of all misdemeanor convictions in New York City come from plea deals, having to negotiate the terms of that deal from a prison cell is obviously an unfair disadvantage.
Mike April 10th, 2015 at 21:05
“Poor People” are involved in criminal behavior more often simply because we have found a way to criminalize being poor…Impound fees, fines, and court costs for things like overdue registration, become jail time and wage garnishments when payments are missed…Something poor people might do…
Let’s face it, our laws are made to favor the rich…there is no denying that.