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A community forum for your viewsGangs, violence, drugsTo the Editor:What are gangs? Why are people in gangs? These are questions parents ask their children each day. Young people often join gangs as a result of wanting to belong to some type of familial unit. They are lonely young people who come from all walks of life. What is really frightening is that years ago there were just adult mobsters, not little kids, but today there are many little kids getting in gangs because they need to belong. However, kids should stay out of gangs because of the violence, drugs and black-on-black crime.Violence! Since the 1960s, violent gang-related crimes have increased bringing more fear to people and changing the way we live. For instance, in 1990, murders took the livesof 23,438 Americans. At least half were gang-related. Also in 1993, 63 kids under the age of 15 died due to gang violence. Now, because of fear of gangs, many people carry knives or hidden guns for protection, even in states where it’s illegal. Therefore, gangs are making the world more violent.Drugs! Gangs get involved with drugs to make fast money, killing off all kinds of people of different nationalities because gangs try to kill each other over money and drugs. Not only are gangs killing off each other, but they are endangering our little kids by gettingH ' athem to sell and use the drugs, in addition, the gangs use the drugs as another form of weapon to kill off people. Thus, gangs are responsible for the rise in the American drug problem.Black-on-black crime! Gangs are contributing to blacks harming one another. For instance, of the total people arrested annually, 26 percent are white and 71 percent are black. Even more alarming, blacks are killing each other every day, and at least three out of five die. As stated before, blacks are also selling drugs to blacks, thus killing their own race. These are a few examples of gang involvement in black-on-black crime.Kids need to leave the gangs alone and stay off the streets. They should attend recreation centers and get involved in after school activities instead. Kids need to leave violence, drugs and black-on-black crime alone and keep their heads in books and bodies in school.James WhitejuniorRich Central High School
Newspaper Details
Crete Star
Crete, Illinois, US
Sun, May 15, 1994
Page 12
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 01 Aug 2022
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