I attended a seminar 2day on GANG AWARENESS at school. Learned LOTS I never knew b4. I'm considering working with these kids. They said once ur "IN" its almost impossible 2 "GET OUT". However, 2 gang members were there & are now doing really well away from their "nations", & R happier. These kids can B helped! HAVE ANY OF U GREW UP IN THESE GANGS AND GOT OUT OR KNOW OF ANYONE WHO DID? I thought it was heartbreaking that families start the 5-7 yr. olds out with guns, murder initiations, drugs, sex etc. while the elders hide behind these kids who take the rap 4 THEIR crimes. The key is in helping these kids EARLY b4 it bcomes too late. I think firmer discipline at home & more love and setting good examples, making sure they r in school, family counseling 4 the poor, and just more supervision and intervention with these HIGH RISK families would keep LOTS of these kids OUT of jail and off the streets. Money spent on an inmates cost of living in prison per yr is high. This program would also cost money, but which is more worth it? UR THOUGHTS PLEASE.....THANX in advance. ]

i know much about gang life ( back in the day )

and yes... you can get out and create a wonderful life


trying to help them will be hard work ... good luck though

i remember my mom went to a gang training seminar thinger back in the late '80s, and they were trying to say that warning signs of gang membership included kids wearing black clothes, wearing ankhs and listening to ministry, skinny puppy and siouxie and the banshees.

i was like, 'yeah mom, i'm in a goth gang. we gangbang by finding innocent people and depressing them to death.'

Anxiety said:

Oh My God!!!

shit..im from the Bronx... Nuff said lol

we had "serious gangs" not these wanna be's lol

Baby skulls
savage skulls
La Familia
Lk's etc.etc

u can get out.. but it comes with a price..

I know a kid who's feiends are in a gang. the shit is horrible cuz' one of his friends are 15 and he owns a gun . I think the shit is pitiful because he came over my house asking for some money to pay an 11th grader when he's in 7th grade (we're neighbors and I know a lot about the situation ) and I just thought, this boy is in deep shit, because either way he's gonna lose because he either coughs up some money, by the way of it, he looked like me might literally have to do that, or get the shit beat outta him. I think the situation is really sad.....and I feel sorry for him. So I hope he gets away frm those bad influences because he's gonna end up just like them, in DEEP shit

TheRealFiness said:

Hey Ness

yeah...the pricetag sux

Machaela said:

Yes, I agree Its NOT easy. But the earlier u intervene the better. These 6 yr olds R delivering & taking drugs, getting laid, stuff u just cant fathom. AND their families R behind most of them. Prevention is worth a pound of cure. Some DO want help & that goes 4 the medium ages 12-17. After that its REALLY hard. We R going 2 learn how 2 decipher graffiti as its ALWAYS a message. THANX. .

Anxiety said:

Anxiety, awhile back it was ONLY WHITE TEES. The dress codes change & mean alot as well. THANX.

grandebelle said:

i can fathom
trust me

TheRealFiness said:

Thanx Finess. Yes, I'm familiar with the BRONX. The queens 2. Around here its MILWAUKEE, & KENOSHA WI. and CHICAGO. Very Rough as well. I also learned about the differences of the serious, and wannabe's. Its VERY har 2 get out without being killed. They need protection.

Tish4 said:

Tish... the thing is that the elders tell the wannabes that they now have a family and will b protected if in trouble with the law. HONESTY? HELL NO. The minute they NEED help, NO ONE is THERE as promised. U ON UR OWN. And yes the rules R STRICT and beware if u dont follow. THANX

grandebelle said:

well, i think the thing we drew from that was that you can't be too reactionary with the 'warning signs' that some folks like to list. some people really know what they're talking about, and others would like you to think that any young person who is seen as 'different' is automatically some kind of dangerous thug.

Anxiety said:

4 the most part an average person not intune 2 the nations in their city wouldnt really recognze a gang member as being such, The gangs & the ppl in law enforcement KNOW pretty well whats up & going down with the gangs & thats all. An average person on the street would not think a 6 yr.old is delivering drugs either. This takes lots of training & informats. U cant judge a book by its cover. THANX.