"Sure, I know there are two ways," Greg said. "But I decide the kind of life I live. I choose." He spoke as wisely as William Julius Wilson, as distinguished as Delbert S. Elliott. Both contributed to the book Good Kids from Bad Neighborhoods, a study which demonstrates that young people choose a lifestyle based on the availability of youth development opportunities. Greg continued, "When I walk out my door in the morning I am greeted by a crack head. I can make $10. Or I can travel outside my community to try to find a job which I am not going to get because of my criminal record. I choose this life because it is easier." He’s right, I thought. I am not excusing what he does; but I am understanding why he does it. What would you do if you were a young black male whose mother is a crack addict, whose father is serving a life sentence, whose little brother was murdered, who has a child to feed, who is dealing with the baby's angry mother, and you can’t get a job? It makes the $10 look like a rational choice.
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