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Summary Of The Ghetto Made Me Do It

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The article “The Ghetto Made Me Do It” comprises of context and analysis of the criminal case of Lisa Morgan. Lisa Morgan, a progenitor of the harsh ghetto is being convicted with six armed robberies and a murder, but this article questions if this happened because of her personal responsibility, or society’s responsibility, or lack thereof, to effectively handle young, black, and poor children. One particular attorney, Robin Shellow, goes into detail about exactly what Lisa had to go through. Her Mom shot her dad, her uncle was murdered, her sister’s boyfriend was shot and paralyzed from the neck down, she was raped at aged 12 (1). These are all things that Morgan had to face growing up. The author then introduces the idea of the “ghetto defense” The “ghetto defense” basically states that (in regards to Morgan’s case) “… violence is a norm, an occurrence so routine that Morgan’s 17 years of exposure to it have rendered her not responsible for her actions” (1). …show more content…

Adding to the “ghetto defense”, the author accredits attorney Shellow of claiming that Morgan’s case involves her mental stability. Although proven sane, Shellow argues that Morgan possibly has PTSD, which stems from her enduring exposure to violence and poor living conditions. Many war veterans have PTSD from the shock of war, and after this is made clear, the author questions “Isn’t a ghetto like a battlefield? (2). This shows how the author strengthens her point by comparing a ghetto to a battlefield, which also backs up the possibility that Morgan has PTSD and should have some justification in her crime. Lastly, the author then questions society’s way of addressing classism. The author writes that “because the ghetto defense protects the poor instead of the powerful”, it will most likely not have a bright future.

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