Part 1- Idealism

Ordinarily, I would proudly consider myself a bleeding heart liberal. I believe in helping others. I believe that it takes a village to raise a child and that we have a duty to help one another, regardless of how much someone "deserves" help or not. Nothing in life is equal and I think that part of the responsibility of having more is to use your wealth, power or influence to help others. I am happy to make sacrifices for the betterment of the community overall. Isn't that the whole idea behind community? I love community- people coming together, sharing resources, strength in numbers.

My conservative boyfriend tells me I am the most idealist person he's ever met. I am an optimist. I believe in hope. I grew up in a wonderful family, in a nice neighborhood, went to great schools, was given every opportunity and, until my 20s, never even considered that there was an alternative to "anything is possible if you can dream". Warm and fuzzy? Yes, probably, but when your entire existence is filled with supportive, loving people, opportunities, and everything is presented with a side of sugar and glittery pixie dust, it's difficult not to have hope.

Not everyone grows up the way that I did. When a child grows up in a tough neighborhood, without positive role models, and where crime, violence and disrespect are part of the everyday culture, and where emphasis is not placed on education, responsibility, or morality- that child is at a disadvantage. When it's not just one child, but an entire community of children, who go on to have their own children, and so on and so on, it becomes a culture of poverty. An entire group of people who are lacking in values, have limited resources and an entirely different outlook on the world.

"Right" and "wrong", honesty, responsibility and making good choices have been instilled in me since I was learning to walk and talk. Sometimes I may sometimes struggle to do the right thing, but there's really no excuse for me to make wrong, irresponsible, dishonest choices because I know what is appropriate.

If you grow up surrounded by crime, without role models, without consequences and your parents and neighbors have grown up that way, and you are completely surrounded by that identity, is it really possible to know right from wrong? I'm not saying that people have no opportunities to learn about rules, or develop a sense of morality. And I'm not saying it's acceptable to be a criminal. But I think if I were to steal someone's purse, it would be more shocking, more unbelievable and somehow more reprehensible than the guy who grew up surrounded by disorder. Right and wrong have been instilled in me since birth, so I have NO excuse to commit a crime, whereas, the guy who's whole life has been chaos is pretty much doomed to replicate the same behavior.

A crime is a crime, and all people should be held to the same standard, but how realistic is it to put two people in entirely opposite circumstances and expect them to behave in the same way.