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WorldsBestPapa t1_isphy0b wrote

Reply to comment by bkemp1984Part2 in 11 shot in Richmond within one week by Charlesinrichmond

That’s reductive and takes away their agency. Being poor doesn’t make you pick up a gun and shoot someone.

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bkemp1984Part2 t1_ispj9lf wrote

No, it's not. Nor did I say being poor means makes you do anything, much less try to kill.

It's not reductive because it's just recognizing decades worth of psychology, sociology, and epigenetics. I wouldn't have invested most of my career in mental health if I thought people were just destined to be however they grew up, because I know people can change and overcome and regain/realize agency. One can do that and still recognize what we know about how forces like poverty, exposure to violence at a young age, trauma, etc. shape someone's brain and behavior.

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ExtremeHobo t1_ispm7uu wrote

People get really confused about deterministic vs probabilistic. Being poor does not determine that you will commit crime. Being poor increases the chances you will commit crime. It's really simple.

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Greenmind76 t1_isrlv5b wrote

When you’ve got very little to sustain yourself it makes you more likely to kill to protect what you have or obtain more.

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bkemp1984Part2 t1_istlexd wrote

Right.....it's not saying all poor people are violent or all violent people are poor. It's just that resource acquisition and protection is a key component of any violent neighborhood, city, country, etc.

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