Yes that would cut down on crime, but like you said there is a whole slue of issues in this area. I do believe there is a clear cut way to go from the "ghetto to beverly hills". Its long takes hard work and is not always guarrenteed. It's called education. One of the problems is that the youth today in general have an instant gratifacion complex. I want it and i want it now. Much of the inequallity is brought one by themselves (Not all but most)

"If it was easier for you to get out of the ghetto would you agree that the need for crime to get out of the ghetto decrease?" I not quite sure what your asking here. Just because someone was busted for theft and had drugs on them does not mean that they were stealing for drugs. I was caught a teen shoplifting, I stole because I wanted something and did not have the money for it at the time. I also had a small bit of weed in my pocket. I can tell you that I did not steal to support any habit, I stole out of stupidity. Unfortuntley the root cause of this issue will never be fixed. Not saying that it can't be fixed but it won't be fixed. Lets take the war on drugs for example, Since the begining we have spent well over 100 trillion (adjusted for inflation) on a losing war. No matter what safe guards we put in place the crimanials can get around it. Take a look at places over seas that have legalized most all drugs. They do not suffer from the same addictions that we as country do. Their rate is far lower. I do not believe that drugs are the root cause of our issues with crime yet I agree that you can trace the majority of crimes back to drugs. The root cause is inequality, the i want what you have syndrome, I'm not saying it's right or even fairbut that is the underlying issue here. People see shows like Cribs, and lifestyles of the rich and famous, etc... and they say that I want that is this is how I can get it now. They feel as though they are treated unfairly because they deserve that lifestlye and dont have it.

You are right that most crime is poor on poor. Drugs are not an escape from poverty they are an escape from reality. Most theft is not to get drugs it is to do simple things like eat. How ever I will say that most crimes can be traced back to drugs. From the violent criminals that I know it's not that they are mentally ill or have some underlying mental issue, it's that they have made the choice to find a way out of the ghetto at any means neccessary. I still see no way that any sociologist can help with this problem. The underlying problem to crime is the social cast that we either impose on ourselves or allow to be imposed on us. Ranging from financial status to race and everything in between. So long as you have a group of people that believe that they are being treating unfairly you will have violence. Take this from some one who knows and has experienced the way people are treated. I worked my way up from the ghetto and poverity to being middle class. The diffrence in the way I was treated was night and day. When all this crap happened with the economy I found my self back in the ghetto once again night and day.

We could throw billion and billions even trillions into solving this dilemma. I doubt it would make that big of a diffrence. It's human nature. So long as you have sects (primarily rich vs poor) you will have volience. One group percives the other is being treated more favorablely then the other and lashes out. The rich try to make laws that keep the poor down and out and the poor look at the rich and say I want that. There is no "cure for crime except to make everyone equal. By that I mean everyone lives in the same type of house, drives the same car, gets paid the same no matter what their job is, etc...... If no one person is allowed to have more then another then there is no need for the majority of crime that we face today. (Of course this will never happen, thank god)

We do have people working on some of the problems that you mentioned. But tell me how is science going to stop gangs? Yes we have important issuse to worry about but this is also an important issue in its own right. What this hints at is a need for humans to find a balance with nature. I personally found it very soothing to go outside away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and just stare up at the stars and be with my own thoughts. You cant do that in most of the cities in america.

I grew up in the inne city where in some places it was just as bright as daytime at night. (Those of you from phila know what I'm talking about) In my neighborhood I could see some stars if I was lucky I could see orion or the big dipper. I wasn't until I joined the navy and I was in the middle of the ocean with no land in either direction for hundreds of miles that I was able to see the full splender of the heavens. At 21yrs old I had my first look at the milky way. I had no idea what I was looking at. I wish my son could see these types of things. I have never seen that many stars. Crystal clear cold night in the north atlantic with a new moon. So dark you can barely see your own hand infront of your face but when you look up all you can say is WOW

What is the big deal about paying kids for good grades? Parents do it all the time $20 per A, $10 per B. So the school is doing now SO WHAT!! I wish they did this while I was in school I would have applied my self allot more. Most children do not/can not see properly into the future. They donâ(TM)t plan for the future the way we do. If we give them a reason to sit through these boring as hell classes other then you need this to get a job, then I'm all for it. I would say that 98% of adults who have any degree will tell you that they did not get their degree because they love learning, they got it so they could advance in their current position or get a better position i.e. MORE MONEY!!!!!! The only difference is with the kids is thatâ(TM)s its more short term then long term

One word for this artical. DUH!!! (I wonder how much tax dollars went to tell us this vital bit of info that my 6yr old son could have told you.) Since we need air to live it only goes to say that the cleaner the air the healthier we are and the healthier we are the longer we live.

Why are we only looking for earth sized planets? Is is some rule that a planet can not be the size of lets say jupiter and still be solid, contain an atmosphere,harbor life. It's far easier to spot these planets because of the wobble effect. The way it looks to me is that we are only focused on finding planets that are the same size as us and have a similer sun as us. What if an earth like planet is revolving around a red supergiant (for example) and is 3x farther away from it's sun then we are but it's the right distence to form life. When dealing with Space and alien life we have to take in effect things like there could be life on a gas planet too.