Gangs Essay MLA Format

Emely Abellard May 16, 2013 Ms. Donahue

Each and every day that passes by a daughter, friend, son, grandchild, cousin, student is killed by gang related activities and gun violence. James C. Howell and John P. Moore of “ History Of Street Gangs in the United States says that “ Street gangs has been around ever since the emergence on the East Coast around 1783 , as the American Revolution ended “ . But over the past years gangs have changed their reputation and what they’re really are. Back then 20 years ago gangs were actually a form of civil disobedience and political resistance. Gangs such as the Businessmen, Avenues and Crips formed to fight the perceived oppression by society. Gangs now days are more about drugs, turf and getting the girls (Gangs Research). Either way gangs are no good they just bad things waiting to happen every day. The government is trying to stop the rise of gangs by making stricter laws which obviously is not working cause still today on the news people are being killed by gang violence. Gang violence takes up 86% of the crimes that happen in the United States (Crimes and US Law Enforcement). That’s a lot so almost each state has gangs located in some areas. Gangs are a group of members who bond together to break rules, make easy money, attack others who they feel disrespect them or snitch. Blood (red) Crips (blue) who supposedly don’t get along always fighting with knives and guns. Gangs are all about women, respect, power, drugs, and money. Anyone who gets in their way tries to snitch, or put them in jail they will come after your close loved ones kill your wife and even your kids then they will come after you. Gang bangers do these type of things for the fun of it they want power and respect. Many times these gang activities and the flashing money, cars, and girls will influence the minds of the youth and make them want to do it also which makes the population of gangs increases more and more. Every time a gang banger is sentenced another youth will rise up and be in a gang. I remember last year during summer in August in my neighborhood a mother in her late 20’s was shot dead, due to gang violence. She was coming from the supermarket buying things a day before she was going to celebrate her 30th birthday was shot by a black male who was on his bike trying to find the person he wanted to kill . When the shots were fired that struck the mother in her back and two other people. Those bullets weren’t meant for her it was for someone else. The mother of one child lost her life a day before she celebrated her 30th birthday with her friends and family. She was pronounced dead before she even made it to the hospital. She was also a close friend to my uncle. It’s sad that human beings that are just like each and every one to have to the guts to pull out a gun and kill someone .What’s the meaning of this why do we have hate for one another like that . Where supposed to be brothers and sisters.
The gang violence and crimes that happens in the community needs to end. Gangs are no good when will people realize that were wiping out our own people that we may be related to, l that can be our friend. Why must we all have hate for one another that we must kill them to stop that hate? Gangs are all started by the youths. Youths that have/had a very bad childhood/household, weak –minded, low self-esteem, who feels they get no love/support from the family and think that they will from random people in a gang. When a weak-minded child who is desperate for something sees these gangs and how they get easy money, girls, respect, and power them going to want to join a gang. It’s easy to get in but when things get hard and decide you don’t want to be in a gang no more it’s going to be hard to get out. After being in a gang you will get money, power, respect, and the girls. But what will happen when the police officers find you in a scene? Find you selling drugs? When you’re most wanted? Or sentenced to do time? You’re going to regret. So why do it in the first place. Why can’t you just be a good person go to school and get an education. This is true now to stop the rise of gangs how about we use all the things that influence these youths and try to find some programs that will prevent them from joining a gang. The government thinks that making stricter laws will stop these gangs, when actually it won’t. They will continue to rise on the top. As I said before, each and every time a gang member gets sentence a new person/youth enters a gang. To stop the rise of gangs I feel that the government should go to the areas that are poor, no education, with bad influences and get those kids before they become rotten like others. If we pay so much in income taxes how come some of the rundown areas of America are still not fixed, how come education in those areas are not taken seriously, the same way those gang bangers influence them to join a gang how about we influence them into getting an education, getting off the street, be someone in life, and becoming a better person. Not all the time we can just blame those gangs bangers. Most of them have a reason why they do what they do and it’s half of our job to help them at least make an effort. I grew up with my cousin Jessie. Ever since I was 2 or 3 I knew him. He didn’t live with his real parents his mom had a hard time and got into some trouble so he was sent to go live with someone else he had to call mom .Everyday he would get in trouble for every little thing. The step mom he was living with had kids herself too when eve they did something they would always blame it on Jessie and his step mother would believe them and he was the one to get beatings. He felt unloved and had no support from that family. They were just so mean he didn’t have the best childhood and not having that good childhood led him to finding love in all the wrong places. Jessie had the brains if you were to tell him to bring you an excellent report card he will. Sadly, he got himself into being in aging he was stealing, robbing, and hurting people. Got easy money starting smoking and began to go downhill. Jessie was a very smart kid but not having that love from a family and not having that support team bought him down. If he had that love and support team he would have gotten a full scholarship I can admit he is smarter than me. It just hurts to see a kid with so much knowledge, ambition, and enthusiasm, confidence in his work for that to go into a waste and be thrown in the trash. From that, you can see why making stricter laws won’t help at all. The same way if you have bees in your house by you trying to kill them one by one won’t help. You have to find that nest and stop the creation of bees then go kill the rest of the bees that are left in the house after you get that nest. You have to find the roots of what makes a youth/person get into a gang and change that around and stop those who are influencing them into joining a gang. Enforcing laws won’t help stop the rise of gangs in America. Peggy Rambach of “ Stricter Laws Won’t Stop America’s Urban Violence “ says “Getting guns off the streets or out of the hands of criminals won't by itself address the problem of gun violence in poor urban communities. America needs to address the underlying circumstances that lead people like my inmate students to gun violence in the first place.” Enforcing laws will just continue to increase more and more but the rise of gangs will increase even more. Gangs, gang members and the violence won’t stop; they break rules, hurt others, and just make things worse and making stricter laws may be no use. Putting them in jail won’t stop them, they have youths who are easily influence because of their child/household, low self-esteem and they get influence and are on that path to doing drugs, making easy money, not going to school and not doing the right thing. It’s our job to help those youth make an effort for them and lead them to the right path. We have to find what causes a person to lead their selves into these things when we find the root of that then maybe the rise of gangs will stop and more students will take education seriously and become a better person keep them off those street keep them from being influenced lets influence them with something good . Help those who are being mistreated at home. No child should be left behind.