How, if at all, did your perception of gangs change after watching the video and completing the reading?
The video nor the book really changed my perception of gangs. Since I can remember I have been either watching shows like gangland or taking classes on this exact topic or something very similar. I have always been aware that gangs are in place so that groups of men can control different sections of impoverished neighborhoods as well as sell drugs or commit other illegal acts and make loads of money. By doing these things not only are they reaping the rewards of criminal activity but they are also wrecking havoc on the people of these neighborhoods who are just trying to survive. Whether it’s the killing of an innocent person in a drive …show more content…
In the book the author discusses race briefly with an elderly man. He stated how whites and blacks will not only never be able to live together but will never get along as well. He even goes as far as to say that you should never trust a white man. Naturally we as human beings will racially segregate without even really knowing it. However in gang neighborhoods this is taken to the extreme. My roommate who is Italian but looks Mexican told me how on one occasion he got lost and ended up in what he didn’t know was a black neighborhood. He was confronted by a gang member and chased down the street at gunpoint until he was able to hide under a car. It’s scary to think how just getting lost in todays society can get you killed depending on the color of your skin. Another example of this cross over from gangs into the community is the violence and crime that ensues in these gang neighborhoods. Many people who live in these neighborhoods are not affiliated with gangs in any way. But while trying to make it through day to day life they must deal with the consequences of living in a gang area. Some of these are being around drug sales and users, violent crimes and even murders. It was discussed in the video by the gang member that violence is a very real idea if you belong to a gang. And along with killing other gang members I have heard on numerous occasions where anywhere from young kids to the elderly have been caught in the crosshairs of a stray bullet. It is a sad but true reality that gangs affect everyone around them. That no matter how hard you try, if you live in a gang neighborhood you will be affected in some sort of
The video nor the book really changed my perception of gangs. Since I can remember I have been either watching shows like gangland or taking classes on this exact topic or something very similar. I have always been aware that gangs are in place so that groups of men can control different sections of impoverished neighborhoods as well as sell drugs or commit other illegal acts and make loads of money. By doing these things not only are they reaping the rewards of criminal activity but they are also wrecking havoc on the people of these neighborhoods who are just trying to survive. Whether it’s the killing of an innocent person in a drive …show more content…
In the book the author discusses race briefly with an elderly man. He stated how whites and blacks will not only never be able to live together but will never get along as well. He even goes as far as to say that you should never trust a white man. Naturally we as human beings will racially segregate without even really knowing it. However in gang neighborhoods this is taken to the extreme. My roommate who is Italian but looks Mexican told me how on one occasion he got lost and ended up in what he didn’t know was a black neighborhood. He was confronted by a gang member and chased down the street at gunpoint until he was able to hide under a car. It’s scary to think how just getting lost in todays society can get you killed depending on the color of your skin. Another example of this cross over from gangs into the community is the violence and crime that ensues in these gang neighborhoods. Many people who live in these neighborhoods are not affiliated with gangs in any way. But while trying to make it through day to day life they must deal with the consequences of living in a gang area. Some of these are being around drug sales and users, violent crimes and even murders. It was discussed in the video by the gang member that violence is a very real idea if you belong to a gang. And along with killing other gang members I have heard on numerous occasions where anywhere from young kids to the elderly have been caught in the crosshairs of a stray bullet. It is a sad but true reality that gangs affect everyone around them. That no matter how hard you try, if you live in a gang neighborhood you will be affected in some sort of