Federalism at times requires the effective cooperation and coordination of federal, state, and local officials. In this case we see how the F.B.I. is helping the Seattle area get a handle on gang activity in our area:Gang membership up in Seattle, FBI says Seattle Times Newspaper
Also of related interest:
Gangs: Once a member, it is difficult to get out
Pictured: Marcus Harden, a 6-foot-5 former Rainier Beach football star, is an intervention counselor at Seattle's Madrona K-8 school and mentors gang-involved youth.
3 comments:
Gang activity is defiantly a big problem in our community. It seems to get worse and worse as the years pass. Growing up in an urban society and being African American I have witnessed some gang related activity and have been physically around it one way or another. Thankfully, I was smart enough not to get involved. However, I know people that have got caught up in the act. Gang activity can result in major injury or even at times death. My short opinion on gang activity for the most part is it’s not worth it. Loosing lives all over a color or a neighborhood where you grew up doesn’t seem to be the smartest thing, but people have different opinions. Why people get into gangs for the most part is hard to understand. I see it from a couple different stand points. One of my predictions is respect. They feel that there fellow gang members will treat them with respect and love more then anyone else. The way I think of it, when things go bad people are going to do whatever it takes to save themselves, so the people you think had respect and love for you instantly turn on you to save themselves. Second, people just try and fit in. People always try and fit in with there surroundings, if you’re around gang activity a lot it’s going to be hard not to get involved. If it was me, Why get involved with something that is life threatening and responsible for a lot of deaths around the world? Attention is also another one that stands out to me. If you’re a part of a gang you’re going to get more attention from others then normal for a number of different reason such as, you being intimidating, popularity, or even a target. Attention is not always a good thing, especially when it comes to gangs. When people start noticing you’re from a gang is when the problem starts. Rival gang members take action. Being in a gang is like having a target on your back. Once you get that target on your back it’s hard to get it off. To even get in to a gang, most gang make you show you’re worthy enough by doing some short of crime. Once you’re in you got rival gangs after you non stop. If you decide to get out, not only may rival gangs not know your out and still be after you but also your gang that you were affiliated with may be upset with you. It’s best to never even get involved. I know people that have been to jail, shot, even killed in gang activity; and if you think about it, it’s all over a color or neighborhood that you had no control over growing up in. All and all it’s not worth it. People have different opinions and overviews on gangs but no one really knows how it all started. Gangs are a big problem in our society and will probably never stop but if we try our best to slow it down it’s just going to continue to escalate over the years.
I agree with what the previous person said gang activity is a big problem in our community. It involves hurting, lying, or sometimes killing someone all because of their color or they are in a wrong neighborhood.
Now as I was reading the article Gangs: Once a member, it is difficult to get out, this I believe is true. What I mean is that your gang members respect you and treated you as a family. But if you decided to get out, they would think that you betrayed them. All that hard work and the protection that they have given you was just probably a waste of time for them. Then another thing is that you would feel bad by leaving them. For example the only family you have was them, but then you decided to start a new and better life. So how would you feel leaving the only family you have? I know how a person feels about this. But once you become a gang member, you must realize what the consequences are. Do not just think that because you are a gang member most people would respect you. But sometimes too much respect can get you killed. Say one of your gang rivals think that you are the boss because you have a lot of respect and/or attention, so they would send someone to kill you and succeeded, end of story. You pretty much wasted your life on something so foolish and pointless.
Choices; I believe that it is one thing that keeps us alive or survive.
Current event #2
Reading both these articles got me to thinking about what the root problem is of gang activity and why people organize and join gangs. I believe that the underlying cause is poverty and fear. The majority of gang members are from a minority backgroud, and being a minority in America is the easiest thing. You face constant discrimination and from people in higher classes and are automatically labeled as dangerous by cops or others. In order for minorities to feel safe and finicially secure in America young teens are reverting to joing gangs to gain that protection from discrimination and the ability to earn lots of money fast in an enviroment which they are surrounded by people that are in the same situation. In order to cure this problem of rising gangs we have to solve the poverty issue in America and be able to learn how to treat everyone equally.
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