Gangs

Dimitris Yang
Junior

Warren Woods Tower High School

Gang violence has been an unpreventable and incurable disease in the American society for centuries. Many people may ask the question, “Can gangs be stopped?” The answer simply is, no. There will always be a gang out there. Whether it’s a well-organized gang or a mediocre gang, there will always be gangs dwelling in corrupt parts of cities. Annually, gangs and criminals together cost the U.S. a mind-blowing $400 billion. The thought of completely ending gang establishments is like trying to move a mountain. The possibility of completely ending gang violence is pretty much slimmed down to zero. However, we can prevent gang establishments before they happen by informing young adolescents about the harms of gang activity and the negative effects in joining one.

I feel that it’s our job and duty to positively impact our younger generation by passing on our knowledge of gangs down onto them. Hopefully they will do the same with the generation under them. Before taking initiative, we must become leaders. And to be a leader we must be followers, like Jesus and his Disciples. We must have wisdom and knowledge, along with experience and testimonies. After gaining enough of those qualities, we can then pass it on.

What kids should know is that, becoming a member of a gang or mob has tons of negative effects. This trend is similar to a domino effect. One thing leads to another. It effects your family, friends, even yourself. You most likely will become addicted to drugs. And drugs can affect you in every aspect of life. Your friends or family members may become victims of murder because of the things you did. Finally, you can end up 6 feet under, or locked up. All these examples are results of what may happen if anyone becomes part of a gang or mob.

Respect, power, and money are all important components of any type of gang. They work together to gain supremacy and dominance over other competing gangs. People who are in gangs seem to believe that their gang members are family when they don’t have anyone to turn to. That’s really true and acceptable. However, will an individual’s gang be there when that individual gets locked up? Absolutely not. Parents and siblings are the ones who always have your back no matter the circumstance. True ‘Family’ has unconditional love.

I encourage everyone to help the society pass on the message about gangs. The good news is that gang violence has quieted down in the recession of our economy. Now it’s our chance to make a difference. We can prevent gangs from establishing and hope for a more positive and better future. It’s a difficult challenge, nevertheless it will help us significantly.