Gang violence is scary, and what’s even more scary is that society isn’t really sure how to cope with or solve the problem of gang violence.
Today’s gangs, unlike the street gangs of the ’40s and ’50s are more profit-oriented; they’re out for the money. These gangs are organized, and they have structure.
The street gangs of the ’40s and ’50s were basically neighborhood gangs. They were more interested in territory, “turf,” as it was commonly called. Back in those days, belonging to a gang was more of a macho type thing to do. Of course, they roughed up rival gang members, but members didn’t carry weapons. If anything, members used their fists more frequently. No one bragged about committing a homicide.
But today’s modern gangs not only have weapons, some have complete arsenals. These gangs today aren’t just interested in mere turf, but as mentioned before, they’re out for the money. They commit burglaries, robberies and other crimes that bring in money.
Most gangs have a leader, a structure and an organization. Some gangs have divisions and chapters. In an average, well-organized big city gang, members range from ages 11 to as high as 30. So it is easy for one to see the mentality that is within the realm of these gangs.
Some people ask, “Why are there any gangs at all?” One major factor is environment. Most gangs’ breeding grounds are ghettos and slums or to use the euphemism, “low income” areas.
Back East and in most lower in come sections of major cities, joining a gang is somewhat mandatory. Most youngsters face the choice of roaming alone, which takes guts and iron fists, or one can join a gang. While gang membership isn’t a guarantee of safety by any stretch of imagination, a gang member doesn’t have to stand alone when the going gets rough.
If there is a beautiful facet of the gang, it is the unity. Unity displays trust, friendship and brotherhood. It would appear to be to one’s advantage that a group of friends are interested in each other’s welfare. In most cases, gangs think of them selves as family members, and very often the case is such. So one would have to admire this type of relationship that they have with each other. But gangs have the flaw of being the interior of that unity. You see, gangs use their unity to their disadvantage. They prey on the weak and start meaningless and petty wars with one another. These wars often leave buckets of blood in the streets and often cause innocent lives to be slaughtered.
This is where the unity of the gang disperses within the social atmosphere. The unity is lost. Though it is definitely thriving in spirit within the interior of the structure, its exterior effects cause total destruction.
Hey, it’s okay to hang together, be cool and watch out for one another, but when you use that togetherness to cause destruction, it’s just plain and simple stupidity.
Coming from the ghetto, one can sometimes sympathize but certainly condemn the elements of gangism. Most feel trapped; a sense of hopelessness that the only chance to get ahead in this world is to take what you can get no matter what the cost, and whoever gets in your way, splatter them.
It’s frightening to learn the mentality of some gang members.
“I don’t mind killing people that get in my way, especially rival gang members. I live for what I can get. Even if you got in my way, I would waste no time busting on you,” said one gang member.
Another member of a well-known gang stated that he has killed maybe five or six people in his lifetime. But it was only in self defense.
One would definitely be amazed at the weapons most of these gangs possess. They range from simple “Saturday night specials,” to rifles, sawed-off shotguns and automatic weapons. One member stated that he knew of a gang that obtained a bazooka for its arsenal.
Now, let’s discuss the real reason why gangs exist. It is simply that they like and love what they do, and sometimes it can be profitable. But probably the real reason is that gang members get to shine when they commit an awesome crime. They feel really “big,” and it’s an exhilarating feeling to know that people actually fear you.
Playing on people’s fear is what gangs thrive on. And that’s why they continue to survive, because no one is actually sure of how to cope with the problem.
Occasionally, you hear of well known celebrities, such as comedian Richard Pryor talking to gangs. It helps some, but it never really solves the problem. The government even tries at times. It allocates a few funds and starts up a “stop this” type of program.
But these funds soon run out, and the program is banished. That’s why gang violence will never end; as long as you have unemployment, poverty and class stratification, these gang kids will see the rich society as the enemy. They will always kill one another, steal from one another and terrorize one another.
It’s really ironic how gangs go for each other; it would seem that they would attack others who are much better off than they. Maybe in a way they hope the streets will destroy them so they won’t have to face life.
In conclusion, it must be said that gang violence is a growing terror that is spreading rapidly once again. “Gangism,” right now, is just a way of life.
All one can do is just hope and pray that the streets don’t turn into areas where potential blood baths will take place.
The sad part about gangs is that if must take place. These kids have to survive somehow, and if a gang is the only way to make it, … well? Poverty and oppression does some strange things to the human mind.
