I was joined at this press confernce by an EOM intern, Shekeda. It was her first mayoral press conference and she had plenty to say:
Fighting to keep the youth away from gang violence and helping to fund non-government organizations that reach out to help the youth of dc is genius! All of the organizations and nonprofits that were awarded the $200,000 grant have already been in action and have proven to work. But standing out in the hot sun was the last thing I thought a press conference would be like. I envisioned a really cold medium sized room, with microphones hooked up to a podium, glaring lights nearly blinding the speaker, and hundreds of camera operators, news casters, and photographers waiting to get the spill. Boy was I wrong. The only thing blinding the speaker was the sun, and the microphones were attached to a portable podium. Beyond that, the cause of the press conference was great. So although we were out in the heat with the sun glaring I am really glad to have been a part of something that will help the youth of the Washington.
Do you have any suggestions for stopping the youth-violence?
1 comments:
I reside in Los Angeles, but this may provide some valuable insight.
History of Los Angeles Gangs:
Crips- Which is now one of the largest gang associations in the world is approximately 35,000 members strong. It was founded in 1969 by 16 year old Raymond Washington and Stanley “Tookie” Williams. The Gang spread into various sub “sets” which often fought with each other. In 1971, A crip set on Piru street in Los Angeles and a another gang called the Piru Street Boys fought with each other until they had a meeting and the Piru Street Boys decided to cut all ties between them and the Crips. Their gang developed into what is now known as the Bloods.
Bloods- Since their formation in 1972, the bloods have spread throughout the United States and infiltrated the military with their over 15,000 members
The third major LA gang is the 18th street gang, which took root from the Clanton 14 street gang back in the 1940’s. But the street name was changed during the 40’s to 18th street. The largely Hispanic gang as it is known today was founded in 1956 and has arisen to challenge the authority of the many African American gangs in Los Angeles. Today the gang is also known as the “Children’s Army” because it recruits out of elementary and middle schools.
Excerpts from the LA Times, August 14th, 2000:
“Gang related homicides have jumped 131% this year over last” August 14, 2000
Nearly 70% of the city’s known homicide suspects were between the ages of 13 and 24 this year, compared with 46% percent last year.
“You can ask a gang member why they are feuding and they’ll say, ‘Oh my homeboy got hit,’ but they are only talking about recent history. They don’t know what started it”
As the years go on, the average age of gang members is decreasing at an alarming rate. The reason seems to be that the pre-existing degree of gang activity in many LA neighborhoods is seen as a dominant and unchangeable force, and that the youth feel the need to be a part of these gangs for security. Afraid of being targeted as a suspected gang member by rival gangs, and tugged by the influence of local gangsters, the gang lifestyle is their only option to have a support group to feel safe within.
Given the amount of gang culture that has permeated our society, it is nearly impossible to decide upon one overarching solution. We can, however, strive to show the youth living in neighborhoods with high rates of gang activity that there are more effective ways to find security other than joining gangs. After school programs, and particularly sports programs, provide healthy atmospheres that allow outlets from the seemingly unbeatable gang force.
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