The failing public school system and the "corner boys".

Fans of the show can never forget Senator Clay Davis’s iconic, elongated "Sheeeeeeeee-it!" While it became a staple of the series, actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. had been using the line long before the show began, eventually bringing it to the character from his own personal repertoire. On The Wire - by Matthew Greber - Greebs In Regulation

Characters like and Thomas "Herc" Hauk serve as mirrors for one another; starting as partners, their paths diverge based on the choices they make within the "Western District Way". While some find redemption, others are swallowed by the very machine they serve. The Secret Origin of the Catchphrase