David,

I certainly agree that poverty and its attendant problems are major factors in pushing people into crime. However, as you expressly point out, not all - not most, even - allow themselves to be so pushed. What I therefore take issue with is the apparent exclusivity that you ascribe to poverty as a cause - as though poverty is the only thing that made a poor guy in Baltimore sell dope or rob a store. We are talking about phenomena that reflect not just institutional failure, but frequently great stupidity, greed or downright sociopathy of individuals.