Gang Violence in the United States Essay - 1192 Words

Gang Violence in the United States Gang violence in America is reaching alarming proportions. Chicago police Commander Donald Hilbring states, Gangs are everywhere. All throughout the city of Chicago, the suburbs, throughout the state, throughout the nation. Chicago police state that so far this year, more than 100 gang-related murders have occurred. Everyday an other report on the evening news relays the tragedy of a child accidently caught in gang crossfire. The image of black, inner-city teenagers selling crack on neighborhood street corners and shooting it out over drug turf comes to mind whenever we hear the story told. What can we do to understand and remedy this problem before an entire generation is lost?†¦show more content†¦Gang violence is simply not limited to Black or Chicago youth. Suburban high school children are carrying guns and killing each other over gang rivalry also. In the Gary Post Tribune, Deborah Diddie reported on an incident in the quiet, white, middle-class town of Crown Point. Two adolescent boys tried to coax a 16 year old rival gang member from his home to shoot him in a nearby park. As we can see, all children, black, white or brown, in the cities and the suburbs, are at risk for gang involvement. Solutions for stopping the spread of gangs and gang violence must be discovered. Gang activity is present in every city and many suburbs in our country today. Parents and other community members must first acknowledge that gangs exist in their neighborhoods and then take action to keep their kids away from gangs. Recently, several Crown Point community groups, including the police department and the school corporation, sponsored a gang awareness meeting for parents and other adult members of the community. Guest speaker, Andy Rodriguez, a youth counselor at the ALSE Clements Center in East Chicago, Indiana, said the gang problem is no longer only an urban concern, but it has spread into the suburban areas as well. He also said the days of people ignoring the gang problem are past. Although many experts agree that todays youth are falling prey to gang involvement because of a basic lack of love and concern, whatShow MoreRelatedGang Violence And The United States1470 Words   |  6 PagesGangs have been a part of American culture in the United States since the early 19th century when immigrant youth organized themselves into street gangs as a means of urban and economic survival. Today, gang violence has reached an almost catastrophic level in the United States. Criminal street gangs have become one of the most serious crime problems in California. Gang violence accounts for one of the largest personal threats to public safety for nearly all the cities in this state. 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