Society Organized for Crime - Essay Example

            The crime problem in the United States is contrary to the high measures put by the government. There is widespread fear of committing a crime in the country. This is because of the repercussions that criminals face for committing petty and hardcore crimes. This does not match the number of those serving sentences in jail. There is a constant high crime rate each year in the country. Why does the crime rate keep on increasing even with harsh measures to deal with crime?

            The American dream is a major factor in the constant crime rate. Citizens are under pressure to succeed no matter what. Therefore, ambitious men opt for risky methods of success, which involve breaking the law to achieve. The dream categorizes people according to monetary values. Success in society depends on how much one owns. This creates division as those with little fall under the failure column. Inequality should not be a reason for people to commit crimes. Some top crimes committed are not by the poor in society but by the very rich and powerful. In some cases, the urge of committing a crime could be from the inward self who intends to put into practice a skill that one owns (Woodiwiss, 2001).

            Sometimes the urge to commit a crime could be the need for one to get a direct route to success. The road to success may not be as smooth and clear as many expect. During the journey, there could be routes that one could follow to reach faster and get away with it. This individual activity could lead to a crime committed if one is unlucky. Should the fact that one could get away with a crime be a motivation for committing them?

            The values of the American dream could be the reason for constantly increased crime rates. These values include achievement orientation, individualism, universalism, and love for money. These values if overlooked could motivate people to go for methods that increase the crime rate in society. Individualism could generate ideas that cater to self-development without caring about other people's development. When an individual wants to clash with public demands, crime is the result. These virtues should not be a stepping stone to motivate greed.

            In life, everyone has a role to play in contributing to world development. For example, a car dealer could operate his business openly following all the rules that the government requires. But the rules could be restricting him to achieving way below what one expects. One step up and bend the rules slightly to register more sales and improve his financial conditions. In some scenarios, one could get away with it as the government could overlook the issues. This is how one could make crime look easy, motivating more people to commit crimes.