One thing to remember about the arrest of seven Miami men involved with the alleged plot to attack the Sears Tower is that they come from one of the most impoverished cities in America. A world away from affluent South Beach and its silky white beaches, the city of Miami has the third-highest poverty rate in the nation, with 28 percent of its population and 41 percent of its children living in poverty, according to 2004 census estimates. (Remember that the official threshold for poverty in this country is quite low: A family of four with a combined income under $18,850 was considered poor in 2004.)

The suspects also come from one of the poorest neighborhoods within Miami, Liberty City, an African American urban island shaped by decades of segregation. Liberty City was the scene of bloody riots in 1980 after an all-white jury acquitted five white police officers for the killing of a black motorist — in spite of an incriminating coroner’s report and testimony by one of the officers. Eighteen people died in the ensuing violence.

All seven of the terrorism suspects are black. Two are from Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

The connection between terrorism and poverty is controversial. Poor, unequal, and unstable countries like Afghanistan and Somalia have become havens for terrorism, and yet many terrorists striking across borders — such as the September 11 hijackers — came from privileged backgrounds. This noteworthy Harvard study dismisses any connection and instead points to the degree of political freedom as a crucial factor.

Yet in the Miami case, five of the suspects are American citizens. The threat, if true, was mostly homegrown — grown in a country that has been (well, at least until recently) admired around the world for its devotion to liberty and democracy. Why, then, would Americans commit violence against their own country? Why would they hate us?

The fact that these men hail from one of the most impoverished and segregated neighborhoods in America makes me wonder if poverty and race had anything to do with their alleged embrace of terrorism. Violence against a repressive, authoritarian regime or an invading power may come from all quarters of society, but violence against an open, established democracy seems to have a particular attraction among the most marginalized and alienated discontents — those who, thanks to the perpetual indignities of poverty and racism, have come to see their own nation as the enemy.

This is all the more reason for us to confront the reality of Two Americas: one full of wealth and hope, the other struggling to survive. Some may complain about raising the specter of “class warfare,” but the price of neglecting inequality may be class warfare of a much more brutal kind.

Victor Tan Chen Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen