Are Gangs Problems or Solutions to Problems?

Are Gangs Problems or Solutions to Problems?

The gang problem in Los Angeles is a result of a number of factors, insufficient economic opportunities, the lack of extra curricular activities, an oppressive local government, and the lack of African American role models. The response to this oppressive environment was the formation street gangs in Los Angeles.

The original gangs of Los Angeles were formed in the 1950s in response to violent white gangs such as the “Spook Hunters” (Bastards of The Party). There were originally four different street organizations, the Slausens, the Farmers, the Businessmen, and the Gladiators (Bastards of The Party). The fact that there were no organizations to join in the African American community at that time encouraged the banding together of these neighborhood kids not only for protection, but for a sense of brotherhood as well. The conflict between the white and black gangs of Los Angeles continued until the white flight movement of the 1960’s, when the majority of the white residents of Los Angeles decided to move outside of the inner city to surrounding suburbs (Bastards of The Party).

During the 1950s and 1960s the African American community not only had to protect themselves from radical white groups, but they also had to contend with one of the most oppressive modern local governments the United States has ever seen. Chief William Parker of The Los Angeles Police Department, from 1950-1966, encouraged the oppression and brutalization of the African American community on a regular basis (Crips and Bloods: Made in America). One of the duties given by Chief Parker was to keep African Americans out of white areas. The African American community was confined to their own neighborhoods (Bastards of The Party).

The African American community had many opportunities to work in factories located in Los Angeles that were producing supplies for World War II (Crips and Bloods, Made in America). This opportunity allowed many members of the African American community in Los Angeles to live a lower-middle class life during the 1950’s and early 1960’s (Crips and Bloods: Made in America). In the mid to late 1960’s there was a shift in the economy from an industrial economy to an economy that was based on service and information that African American traditionally did not have the training for, due to prejudice (Crips and Bloods: Made in America). With the large African American population in Los Angeles and the lack of industrial jobs caused unemployment to skyrocket. This void gave the opportunity for the Slausens, the Farmers, the Businessmen, and the Gladiators.

The social impacts of the poverty caused by the lack of economic opportunity have caused many broken homes to form in Los Angeles. Seventy percent of gang members in Los Angeles are born into broken homes with no father figure to guide them (Bastards of The Party). The youth of Los Angeles lacked role models; therefore, out of desperation, these young people turned to older gang members for guidance (Bastards of The Party). When a young person does not have a father figure they often turn to a gang as a means of protection for themselves and their families. These young people oftentimes are victimized and make the decision to join an organization that will protect them as well as give them employment, often involving the crack cocaine trade. This is how gangs obtain and sustain their following within the community.

Although society views gangs as a substantial problem within the community, gangs provide the resources and stability for its members. Gangs offer protection, employment, security and stability. Thus, joining a gang solves the problem of protection, which to a young black man in Los Angles is a necessity. Gangs also offer employment to its members through drug trade or extortion. Before one is to pass judgment on what membership to a gang means it is imperative that one examines the circumstances in which a person becomes a member as well as the opportunities that gang membership will offer the individual. In conclusion, a gang is an escape route for most individuals surrounded by poverty.

Sources

Bastards of The Party (2005)

Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Dont be Slippin

Woman in gangs are often more dangerous than their male counterparts.

From Girls to Gangsters is an episode of Gangland on the history channel, which shows how the females do become validated members of gangs and participate in violent gang activity. The show gives us examples of how Female gangsters often act the same as males and follow the same let of rules and regulations, and must also participate in all the traditions as well. Gangland also shows us how sex appeal is used on the street to manipulate situations to the female’s advantage, and also how that sex appeal can give people a false sense of security.

Females being on the street committing the same crimes as males puts a totally new twist in the game. The fact of being female gives these women a certain amount of camouflage and the opportunity to operate under the radar. Women in general are usually view as physical threats to males; so female gang bangers often succeed in getting other male gangsters to drop their guards. Often times females are used as resources for the particular gang or set, they are usually the ones who hide the drugs in the case of police attention; they also are used as hit men. There are all girl sets in Los Angeles county, who operate just like a male run organization; selling drugs, committing murders, and protecting their neighborhoods. Women will often join gangs for the same reasons as males, for protection, sisterhood, and the ability to make people fear them. The single biggest reason women join gangs is because of an indirect affiliation, either through family members or through relationships they carry on with male gang members.

“Gangland – From Girl to Gangster.” YouTube. YouTube, 01 Nov. 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. .

Black on Brown Crime

Contrary to popular belief the gang violence in Los Angeles County between groups of different races is more gruesome and vicious than the violence being carried out by gangs of the same ethnic background.
The majority of this struggle is taking place between black and Hispanic gangs. There are several reasons why the conflict between gangs of different races is more violent than the tradition interracial wars, such as the struggle for the same drug territory, as well as a strong sense of nationalism. Los Angeles is the most diverse city in the United States and many gangs participate in the same activities, meaning the likelihood of them crossing paths is pretty high.
This program by Gangland “Race Wars” gives us a great look inside the reasons why the conflict started between the Hispanic gangs and the African American gangs. The O.G. or original gangsters were not drug dealers, their business was protecting the neighborhood and the people in the neighborhood, until the emergence of wide spread cocaine use, which was very profitable creating rivalry’s for bragging rights and clientele. The gang members saw an opportunity to make money by becoming drug dealers, and when there is competition of the drug trade violence is inevitable. Racial territory was marked off on the residential neighborhood streets of Los Angeles, with the threat that if the lines were crossed the person crossing them was entering a life-threatening situation. Prison rivalries and conflicts also play a huge roll in the war on the streets. Most of the highest-ranking members in criminal organizations are imprisoned, but still manage to order murders and give instructions to members carrying out the day-to-day operations. The rule is in prison even if someone is your enemy on the outside if they are of the same race as you there is an unspoken agreement to call a truce until you return to the streets.

Kecho619. “Gangland – Race Wars.” YouTube. YouTube, 21 Nov. 2011. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. .

All For One and One For All

All For One and One For All

 

Selfishness amongst players and coaches is killing sports.

 

Emerson states that we must become nonconformists in order not to be swayed by public opinion, which is not always good.  This is a double-edged sword in terms of how a balanced must be reached between self infatuation and the perception of your peers.

 

Al Golden is now the new coach for the Miami hurricanes, who have been in the news lately for negative not positive reasons.  Selfishness is a subject coach Golden is determined to address this fall.  The Miami Hurricanes football program has always been known for having a swagger or a chip on their shoulder if you will, but Golden has voiced his opinion that this swagger has gotten out of hand.  With the possibility of NCAA sanctions looming over the program, Golden is determined to rehabilitate the Canes public image.

 

Emerson speaks of a line that must be walked, coach Golden agrees with Emerson in the sense that you can be confident but not cocky.  The confidence is good for players because it gives them the faith in themselves to boosts their performance on the field, but ones play can also be hindered by cockiness.

 

Collins, Jimmy. “Miami Hurricanes Head Coach Al Golden Wants No More Selfishness: Fan Reaction.” Yahoo! Sports. N.p., 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://sports.yahoo.com/news/miami-hurricanes-head-coach-al-golden-wants-no-192000859–ncaaf.html&gt;.

 

 

 

 

everything doesnt last forever

The website:

digginshop.blogspot.com

The URL: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T6Wn7AMTwdo/TTHuxGPDHdI/AAAAAAAAAJc/ssdBTViSPME/s1600/miscellaneous_91%255B1%255D.jpg

Gordon Bailey

Everything doesn’t last forever

Two gangs in Los Angles County have been engaged in a violent struggle since the early nineteen seventies, this bloody battle has left its mark on the city of Los Angeles physically and emotionally.  There were few who thought the feud between the two factions would ever stop, because of steady increase in membership and the fact that the violence spans several generations.  In nineteen ninety-two the two gangs set down their weapons and united to fight police brutality and injustice.  The reason for this cease-fire was the innocent verdict four Los Angles police officers received in the famous Rodney King trial.  Shortly after the trial concluded a series of riots took place that grew to such since and severity it required the National Guard to disband.  The riots in Los Angles gave these two major African American gangs a reason to band together to fight the common battle for social equality.

In this image depicting the nineteen ninety-two peace treaty between the Bloods and Crips you can see the city on fire in the background representing the looting and burning that was taking place during the riots. The two leaders of these two sets are handing each other their guns and flags showing their commitment to the peace.  The graffiti in the background also has meaning; the mailbox has been tagged up or spray-painted with a red symbol marking that sets drug territory.  The fact that the two lead members could have done this meeting privately, but they chose to do it publically to send the message to Crips and Bloods inside the outside of Los Angles that the violence needed to stop.  Unfortunately the peace did not last, after the riots had ended and the two different groups settled back into their normal routine they were reminded how the conflict had begun in the first place, the gangs had changed their attitudes but it didn’t change the fact that they were still fighting over the same drug turf.  In reflection the movement would have been successful if the two factions had a legitimate way to make a dollar and constructive ways to spend their time, these people are products of their environment.  A wise man once said “I live in the ghetto, but the ghetto doesn’t live in me”.