For part one of this series, please head here.
I could never find an answer that was a real reason for people (mostly youth) to act out in such a way. Before, I thought that rap music might have been the problem. Then I thought that the answer was the presence of drugs and other mind-altering fads. My first article on the topic, gang violence in America, was a hit. To this day it has gotten nearly five thousand views. So I thought that now, nearly a year later, I'd try again.
I live in a bad neighborhood. And I see gang bangers very often, Everyday to be exact. But more recently I've been seeing more and more of them walking the streets. The past few weeks the violence in my neighborhood has skyrocketed. There have been cops everywhere, and more and more good people are staying inside. We're being kept indoors by people who shouldn't be frightening us. But it happens anyway.
My town, Las Vegas, Nevada, has almost as many gangs as California now. And it's getting worse. I can't imagine what living there would be like for someone like myself. But my question is this; why are so many people joining gangs? I've thought log and hard about this. I've done my reading, and I've seen first hand what they can do. And I've thought of the real answer…fear.
They are ones that are truly afraid. They only go out in large, very large groups. And they always have weapons with them. About a year ago me and my older brother were coming back from the store across the street and we were mugged at knife point. And I know that they wouldn't have started stuff if they we unarmed.
So I know now that it's fear that drives them. I really believe that they are more afraid of us then we will ever be of them. If not, then why do they only fight when they have so many numbers? I see it on the news all the time. Someone gets jumped my five gang bangers and ends up at the hospital. They're cowards. And that's what I believe makes then join gangs.
On another note, I really doubt that gang violence will ever die down. This is a problem that is killing our youth. They don't need guns to kill each other. They manage with knifes, bats, rocks, and anything you could hurt someone with. The only good thing about them having weapons, they also kill each other. I wish I could put every banger in America in a room and have them all kill each other. Then lock up the last man standing. But you would have to put a lot of rap CDs and car rims along the sidewalk to get them to go in.
