Do You Account For The Similarities And Differences Between Wes Moore

1. How do you account for the similarities and differences between Wes and Wes? Point to specific examples that may have changed their trajectories.

Aside from salient factor that both had the same first and last name, there are other similarities between these two Wes Moore. Both of them grew up in a single-parent household; one father was not present because he died of “acute epiglottitis, a rare but treatable virus that causes the epiglottis to swell and cover the air passages to the lungs” (15) and the other father decided not to be present. Both had older siblings; one had an older sister (Nikki) and the other one an older brother (Tony). Both Wes had demonstrated aggressive behaviors toward their siblings or others; the difference

The other Wes, however, got reinforced for his aggressive behavior and drug involvement; he also committed the robbery with his brother (Tony). Social bonding theory (individuals will commit delinquent acts when their bonds to society are weakened or have broken; attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief) – as Wes expressed, “young boys are more likely to believe in themselves if they know that there’s someone, somewhere, who shares that belief” (28). Moreover, this influenced the internalization that ‘Weses’ did with the attention obtained from authorities present in their lives. For example, how one Wes had the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with his teacher because they were both better off when he didn’t attended class; whereas, the lieutenants at Valley Forge not allowing for Wes to go back home – they demonstrated that they believed in

Both of them had contact with the police, however, both acted vastly differently towards the police officers, and vice versa. The differences on interaction relies on that one Wes had multiple contact with law enforcement before – hence, he got arrested at a young age; whereas, the other Wes on his first contact with the police got only a warning. Amongst the communities that Wes grew up in, there were a concentrated disadvantage; families were poor, there were single mothers as head of the households, a great percentage were black, murder rates were high, and drugs were