“When you’re wealthy you make mistakes. When you are poor you go to jail.”

What have I learned from knowing both Mr one-glove and Takeesha? Here’s my one-line answer:

When you’re wealthy you make mistakes. When you are poor you go to jail.

Yes, it is like comparing apples and oranges. That is the point though. We have built two very different societies with two very different sets of values. Takeesha was born into a world with limited opportunities, one where the black market has filled the void. In her world transgressions are resolved via violence, not lawyers. The law as applied to her is simple and stark, with little wiggle room.

In the Guardian, Chris Arnade, a former trader who worked on Wall Street for 20 years who now works as a photographer and often meets and photographs drug addicts in New York, discusses the different rules that apply when it comes to the rich and poor. Both break laws, but those with money for lawyers often settle out of court (even when doing something egregious like helping drug cartels launder billions in drug money) while the poor go directly to jail.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.