[neverdem]

It was Benjamin Ward.

[goldstategop]

Liberals find the "root cause" meme a convenient alibi to avoid holding people responsible for their actions. If people are responsible for they do, their background doesn't excuse them from the consequences of the choices they make. Since liberals think people are basically good, if they do something wrong, its their environment or upbringing that made them go bad, not something they did of their own accord. We'll never see "root cause" disappear from the liberal lexicon because that would mean blaming minorities and women and they are never going to be demanding people be the best they can be. That would cut liberals out of the picture.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Republicus2001]

heh in Los Angeles recently Chief Bratton remarked "you can't fight crime by arresting people"...

says it all right there

[SunkenCiv]

Unless root causes of crime are addressed, Mr. [Charles] Rangel said...

...root causes, y'mean like Al Sharpton? Thanks neverdem.

[Towed_Jumper]

“Mayor David N. Dinkins took his anticrime campaign on the road today as he lobbied here for stricter national gun-control laws and an all-out effort against “the root causes of crime,” including poverty, homelessness, drug addiction and growing despair. (Emphasis mine.)”

I once asked a friend of mine who is a homicide detective why he thought people commit murder. Without a pause or missing a beat he replied “a lack of moral values.” seemed to be the common thread that ran through so many of the case of murders he had investigated.

To me there's a fundamental difference between being poor and being low class. Many poor people are decent and moral people, however, low class people can still be wealthy but their wealth adds nothing to their level of moral integrity.

[MrB]

Root cause -

straying from the concept of “he who will not work, nor shall he eat”.

Someone who is working is too busy to be a criminal.

And they can just stuff their “lack of opportunity” - I don’t buy it. It’s “should I collect $600 a week in welfare or work for $500 a week”?