QUOTE (Lancaster @ May 24 2009, 10:49 PM)
Jocks, preps, skaters,etc. is a far different story than violent, drug-involved gangs. Please.
Sounds to me like most of these kids are confusing gangs with cliques. They want to to fit in somewhere in society, so instead of being part of a "clique" they choose a "gang" where they can portray themselves as badasses to get others to stop picking on them. Most are still too young to realize what they are getting into when they join up with these clowns.
I know what it's like. I was part of a gang when I was a teenager. Started very small, like 4 of us. As we proceeded to grow, the more trouble found us, and we could no longer maintain order in the gang. Therefore fighting amongst ourselves was inevitable.
Then one night, when I was walkng down the street, I saw 4 members of a rival gang harrassing a single kid wearing coke bottle bottom glasses and how scared this kid was. I had just turned 16 and I was a pretty tough kid so I approached them and told them to leave him alone.
I ended up having to take all 4 of them on and all 5 of us ended up in the hospital with some pretty nasty injuries.
Next evening, while being visited by "my troops", I vowed to them that I would not be a member of their gang anymore unless they took up my quest to break up every fracas we came across where someone was being picked on, made fun of, or otherwise harrassed by more than one person.
The rules were simple; stop it before someone got hurt.
The rules changed a bit over the next year but with the same results, and just before I went into the Army, we were asked to volunteer for security at the local dances. We said yes, but the rule was we could tell no one we were doing it. It had to be "mum", so we just blended in with the other kids.
If a fight broke out, it was over as quickly as we could get to it.
By the way, the 4 I took on decided they didn't want any part of being in another scrap with me and joined me in my challenge.
The "gang" all went into the service shortly after I did, but only myself and one other came back in any condition to take up where we left off.
I know we were considered vigilantes by some of the kids and their parents, but we feel we saved some of them alot of heartache and that made it all worth it.
It's alot different out there now but the game is still the same. They want to be noticed for something.
Some of you kids out there, if you want to be noticed, try stepping in and stopping one from getting started. However, if you know guns are involved, just simply step back and call 911. You'll be noticed for that too. By all those who want to grow up and old in a safe world.
Luke out !!
