"AN OPEN LETTER TO AMERICA"
Dear America,
My name is Lucky and I am the president of Gang Watchers, a Christian Neighborhood Watch Ministry established in Porterville California, on Sept 21, 2005.
I am writing you this letter because I’m absolutely convinced that we have a major gang problem in America that has incrementally stolen the hopes, dreams and lives of the next two (2), possibly three (3) generations of youth in the United States.
I’m also writing this letter because I am convinced that GOD ALMIGHTY wants us American’s to ask for HIS Guidance and Mercy. Our children are now paying the high price of America’s misgivings, misunderstandings and misadventures. We must admit that our children will model any other behavior if they do not model our behavior as parents, relatives, neighbors, teachers or friends.
Many surveys suggest these role models as being the key to keeping kids out of gangs or gang participation. Many suggest aggressive intervention before the age of 10 and as early as 6 - if some family members are gang participants, associates or members.
As well, ex-gang members have stressed the above interventions, as have policing authorities and agencies. Church surveys reflected the same needs and have periodically intervened with various children’s church programs, outings and evangelism. However, the gang problems in America continues at alarming rates !
Plainly, if we do not take this “STREET WAR IN AMERICA” serious and combine all of our efforts we will loose a fourth (4) generation of hearts, hope and help. We must reach the children now !
Someone once said, America is great because of the goodness of it’s people. And Christians have said, America is rich because of the Goodness of GOD. We must now model that goodness and greatness to those children in our homes, neighborhoods, schools and communities. It’s a model of giving more than receiving. And it’s a model needed more now than ever.
And yes … we do blame the Music Industry, Hollywood and Wall Street for mass producing and modeling this gangsta culture to our kids. You guys are always there to claim your 1st Amendment rights but are never there to claim the limp and lifeless bodies that mother’s and father’s - across America - claim at the morgue on a daily basis.
GOD help us all if we continue doing nothing or turn away … AGAIN !
This last week I traveled to southern California for some business and slowed down enough to view some of the gang graffiti - sorely displayed throughout Los Angeles.
Nothing had changed except a few more street gang tags and a few more south American tags. One that caught my attention from the east coast - real quick - was "NETAS", a rival gang of the Latin Kings, which I saw on a street sign on the freeway. | More Info: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
As unimportant as this observation may be, it's important when you know that this is another east coast gang that's trying to move in an area that's already dominated by L.A. gangs. To us at Gang watchers this movement means one of two things. They are either moving into an area or out of an area. In either way, this gang will have to establish territory. But the history of the Netas is to lay low ... until it's time to claim. That, my friends means more banging and more movement. And since Tulare County has a history of hiding out runaway gang members, we will be watching for these folks from the east coast.
One final note today - Last night as I was up-dating the site I came across an internet interview {page} by an ole' colleague in gang research - Alex Alonso. Now, I must say that when Gang Watchers started researching gangs we did purchase many of Alex's products and video tapes. Most were 4 hours in length and yeilded perhaps 20 minutes of usefull facts and information.
All that aside, reading this interview I have now concluded that Alex was not the best resouce in town, and this interview - to me - says it all. You will read for your self that he is not convinced there is any connection between gansta rap and gangstrism, even when he's asked directly. Specifically he says, "I think pretty much every person that has a gang affiliation that’s in the music industry, to a certain degree, is not fully entrenched in the gang culture, because there’s really no way you can really balance being a full-time gang member and shopping a demo or working on an album." As far as I'm now concerned, this open statement by Alex shows me his concern for gangsta rap and not his concern for the influence of gansta rap. I will no doubt write more on this later. This greatly upsets me.
† 10-15-06 : SUNDAY MORNING MONOLOGUE - "In or Out ... A Message about Gang Participants".
Over the course of a year Gang Watchers has learned a lot about gangs members, gang associates,
gang wanna-bees - who are now called gang gunna-bees. And looking over the dividing line between each of these catagories have basically become blurred; to the point where many in the "Gang Watching Community" are now calling everyone who "looks-like" they might be in a gang, or an associate, or wanna-bee ... A PARTICIPANT.
Included in this new catagory are those who dress up like gangsta's(1). Yes ... Mom's and Dad's, all of your fears as a parent are now coming true and convincing your little up-and-coming rapper of this is on your shoulders.
I can't be any more up-front than that ! You need to know that the gangsta rappers are laughing all the way to the bank and the real gangstas are laughing all the way to prison.
Why ? Because they know they have your child's mind and heart. The minute your little Johnny decides to wear clothing that's reflective of gang activity, he is now classified as a PARTICIPANT, by the gangs, by schools officials, by the cops ... and by Gang Watchers - let me explain.
Every day kids are confronted with the reality of being jumped at school(2). They know that sooner or later they will be forced to join a gang(3) just for their own protection. And this gang that they are forced into joining may only be a group of guys who have banded together(4) for protection, nothing more ... just protection. They - are now IN ! They're 3 Points Past PARTICIPATING ! And they, will be the easier of the two targets for the teachers, because the teachers want to warn them of the eventual outcome of such activity. So now, your kids are forced into protecting themselves - from the teachers and band closer together. So ... the teachers see this and eventually - because of fights - the cops are now called in ... just for PARTICIPATING {wearing clothes that represent gangstas}.
You have just read how your child - by default - is forced into gang activity. And this cycle of PARTICIPATION will - no doubt - force other innocent children into gangs - for protection.
To show the other gangs that this new gang is bigger and badder, they must - demonstrate their numbers by wearing clothes - that best represents their gang. They are IN ! They are now PARTICIPATING in gang activity ! A Fifth Level gangsta is now wearing the same clothes that little Johnny is wearing - and little Johnny is now PARTICIPATING ... whether he know's it or not.
Are they lost at this point ? NO NO NO ! They can still be reached - but not by the parents, the teachers or cops. They can still be reached - by JESUS CHRIST ! And that's where Gang Watchers comes in. If you do nothing but contact us, or take a class, that's a great start. If you don't know how to pray, contact Gang Watchers - we'll pray with you. If you - yourself - are participating and want out, contact Gang Watchers. For info on what to do or how to get out, click here. Gang Watchers will e-mail you back.
