Yes, the people are immediately at fault, but what kind of society creates such an underclass with such poverty and inequality? Why are they put in that state and kept in that state so that when something happens it all kicks off so badly?
Simply put, they are "put" in that state by well-meaning social programs that provide for all the basic necessities (food, shelter, medical care, etc) with the hope that utilizing these programs will be a temporary condition and that the 'leg up' that is being provided will allow them to, through their own initiative and by taking advantage of educational and vocational opportunities available, allow them to transition from total dependence on state aid to taking control of their own lives and gradually becoming independent earners in society. That is what has 'put' them in that state.
What has 'kept' them in that state is far more complex. A certain portion of the population will never be able to exist independent of state sponsored welfare programs. But a far larger portion of people choose not to take control of their own lives and make the transition from the welfare to independence. That may be unpleasant to hear, the truth often is, but the fact remains: When you are given the opportunity to make something better of your life and you do not take it, your actions (or inaction) have had a direct effect on the unsatisfactory condition of your life. The reasons that people do not seek to make their lives better than they are are numerous and complex, and it seems like when anyone tries to say them out loud--either from outside of the community involved or from within it--the most immediate action many people take is to clamp their hands over their ears and refuse to listen, and brand the speaker as a bigot.
The problem never goes away though because IMO the root underlying cause is inequality and this can be the immediate wealth difference between the haves and have-nots (and Bush's have-mores) but also inequality of opportunity - there has to be a way open to escape the slums and crime riddled parts of society and incentives to do so
I agree with you 100% that the answer to the problems inequality in the U.S.A. absolutely lies in closing the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. But I also believe that the 'way open to escape the slums and crime riddled parts of society' often already exists but will never be taken advantage of in any significant number until people within the affected populations stand up and declare that the to pursue success educationally and through personal achievement does not equal treason to their own people or a desire to distance themselves from their roots. Until the idea takes hold that personal responsibility is preferable to the existing culture of entitlement, not much is going to change.
Surely the solution lies somewhere in the middle, don't you think? Even more readily available opportunities to improve one's lot in life coupled with a cultural shift in perspective on those opportunities and the implications of taking them.
