Decent versus street?

I really liked this reading. It was narrative and easy to read. But something that really bothered me was the simplification and dichotomy of “decent” versus “street,” as though the two cannot intersect. This reminds me a lot of recurring conversation regarding middle class morals and norms. One middle class norm is, as the text pointed out, the man being breadwinner. But in some situations, the options are to 1) not be a breadwinner, or to 2) win bread by dealing drugs. Neither of these options follows middle class values, so this man cannot be a “decent” man, and his family not a “decent” family. This seemed to me like a really unfair comparison, which it is. But the reading also drew my attention to the fact that people in rough economic situations—such as in Maxine's neighborhood—are proud of their decency. It can take a lot of effort to successfully run a household on a very low income without delving into off the books business such as drug dealing to supplement low income. There are not many areas one can think of that are both low income and safe, so it occurred to me that the people of Maxine's neighborhood, less than judging her for her involvement in drugs, are fearful for their own decency and angry that their efforts to live in a safe, “decent” neighborhood have been ruined. On the other hand, advancing one's own family and gaining opportunities is seen as disrespectful to people of the community which one may be attempting to exit. It seems very strange to me how high the sensitivity is around this issue of people trying to better themselves versus people who find themselves unable to do so. The relationship between the two seems originated in fear and pride on both sides.