Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Moms Analysis

Freakonomics

Why do Drug Dealers Still Live with their Moms? Kaden Cox
POLS 101

Summary In this chapter, this question is asked: Why do drug dealers live with their moms? This question is answered throughout the chapter. Next, Levitt begins to explain how if your’e looking to make money, dealing drugs is one of the best ways to make big money in America. One drug in specific, crack, makes up much of drug dealing money. Levitt begins to explain a story how back in the 1980s, a University of Chicago student became connected with a gang known as the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. This student, Sudhir Venkatesh, was very interested in the gang and became connected with the gang’s leader. Venkatesh learned about the gang and spend over 5
They would also have many “foot soldiers” who were paid nearly half of the minimum wage. These gang branches sold crack, and made a ton of money doing it. The leader of a branch made over one hundred thousand dollars in a year, while below him, his employees made very little. This was a very profitable operation for those in charge, but for the ones who worked under them made very little money. Levitt uses this as an example of how drug dealers still live with their moms. Many of these foot soldiers made so little money that they had no choice but to go live with their parents. The jobs of these foot soldiers were very dangerous, with a good chance of them getting arrested or killed every day. Towards the end of this chapter, Levitt asks a new question: how is crack similar to nylon stockings? Levitt answers this question by talking about how it was made for the common folk. Nylon stockings used to be for the rich and famous, yet people discovered their own way of making it and it soon became easily available for anyone. Crack was the same way. It used to be a drug for the rich and famous, yet throughout this new drug trafficking with the gangs, it became available to anyone who
Living in Scott County for most of my life, drugs have always been a topic of conversation in school and the news. The first thing that I found interesting about this chapter was all of the information about the gangs. I always thought that gangs were only out for violence, however, after reading this, I learned that many of the members only participated because of their hoped to get rich some day. The next thing that I found interesting was that someone who was in the University of Chicago got involved in gangs and drug dealing. I don’t understand why someone that smart and talented would turn to something that could threaten his education and future careers. I am still wondering where that man is now. The last thing that I found interesting about this chapter was the comparison that Levitt had in the end. Crack used to only be available to the rich and famous, but now anybody can get their hands on it. This drug has poisoned the minds of many through addiction and crime and has left serious effects on our neighborhoods and communities. Being in Scott County, I have seen the effects of drugs in the community, so I feel like that last point in his chapter really related to me in that sense.