I dropped out of college freshman year and moved back home. I went back in my mid-20's to get my degree. But where I grew up was a middle class suburban town, almost all white, some Asian demographics. solid Jewish presence. Each of the main high schools had a 1000 kids and in mine there were like 3 black kids.
When I went back home I just got a job, met some people, all who didn't go to college. They all did drugs and so did I. Eventually we had a small crew, plus a lot of acquaintances as we got into the NYC club and East Coast rave scene. So we did party quite a bit. My best friend had been a juvenile delinquent - shoplifting and even robbed a few houses. Got off with a slap on his wrist for that. Anyway so we all partied like crazy, some people shoplifted and did petty robbery. I got caught once in NYC. Eventually a lot of us got arrested for smoking weed (28 years ago), but we all got off on a conditional discharge, never affected our records. A bunch of us sold some drugs and did a lot. This phase lasted like 5 years. A couple acquaintances, not the inner circle, died from OD'ing, the few that got into heroin. My main crew did not get into that drug. We kept it to weed, LSD, Ecstasy, K, Shrooms, etc... avoided heroin and cocaine/crack.
The majority of everyone there have turned out into productive members of society. Many own homes and have families now with kids. Of course most of us were middle class and white. The one buddy of mine that went to court for his thievery a few times - he'd be in there in court and watch teh poor kids from the mostly black town next door all get tough penalties for their shoplifting at the local mall - but not really the white middle class kids. Most of us also had middle class support systems, we could afford a local lawyer too. Our parents could afford to send us to therapy too. That was our support system and allowed us to bounce back and all get to grow up and become productive members of society. Being white and middle class really really helped too.
The point of this is is that a lot of people get into things that can get them into trouble, especially when younger. Even when living a middle class life, let alone a poor one. And if you have to bounce back in a poor one, you are way more fucked. But if there are not insane punishments to take them out of being able to function in society when you spit them back out, while also providing rehabilitation and some support, a lot of people would turn out fine. Of course there would be that rotten core, so of course you have to deal with them also. Also, it is great to be white. You know, the most oppressed demographic in this country according to the shitty Republican party.
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