"The Saints and the Roughnecks"

The article we read for class, "The Saints and the Roughnecks" was a really good read because it is so very true. The kids that everyone views as good students that come from good families are almost always forgiven their crimes. However, those teens that come from poverty are seen as delinquents from the start and if they are accused of something, they're immediately thought of as guilty. This is so very true and it's prevalent at Stevenson. Many students at Stevenson are involved in breaking the laws almost every weekend. On the rare occasion a student is caught, the most common story is that they get off with almost no punishment. I've heard of students being in several DUI's and having no consequences, because "they have a really good lawyer". I cannot believe this happens. My cousin attended a much poorer high school around here where crime was also common. However, she told me that they were always being arrested and expelled from school. How is it that the kids from the upper middle class get away with the same crimes committed by those from low-income families? It truly is society's view of them because all I hear is how lucky I am to attend such a great high school and how everyone will grow up to be successful and lead such wonderful lives. But the truth is, when students get away with everything at such a young age, all it teaches them is that no matter what they do, there will never be any punishments or repercussions for those actions. They will expect the same bailing out in their adult lives which is just unrealistic. As for the "roughnecks", all they will hear their entire lives is how they are delinquents and untrustworthy and expected to be failures. Therefore, most of them grow up fulfilling these predictions. It is an ongoing circle for the two classes and succeeds in separating them further and further and giving America much more of a two class society.