This is a naive perspective. The reality is it's not available, but gets forced upon entire classes of people as the only viable option, and leads to a lifetime of economic and emotional struggle.

But it’s still a choice right? Like a life of crime may be the lesser of two evils but even that is a choice.

People for whom the system offers no advantages are far more likely to make that choice.

My original point is that the current state of the law is not some grand moral absolute, it’s just how things happen to have worked out based on a bunch of decisions made by a bunch of people.

You can choose how to react to that up to and including breaking the law. The degree to which you do that can determine your consequences.

Also sometimes the bear eats you and you’re just unlucky.