Street Gang Signs and Symbols

I found a website on street gang signs and symbols.  This website tells how symbols and signs are a big part in gang culture.  Signs and symbols represent a particular gang and is often used to tell them apart.  Some signs and symbols represent one individual group but others can represent an alliance of gangs that they sometimes call a nation.  Some signs or symbols can be as simple as a pyramid others can be something drawn or made up.  On this website you can see some examples of what some of these symbols look like.  I think that in some ways it is good that gangs have different symbols because since they represent themselves with these symbols they most likely will have them written or worn somewhere on their body.  This makes it more helpful to know who is part of a gang and to which one they are apart of.

How gang violence is tearing black America apart

I found this article on how gang violence is tearing black American apart and about how young people are getting into gangs.  This article explains how a young 17 year old girl got shot as an initiation for some guy to be in a gang.  Also how a 21 year old boy was shot to death at a hip hop concert, by someone trying to prove he was tough.  “Gang violence is an enormous and big problem in every major city,” says Brian Center, Executive Director of A Better LA.  This article says that the number one reason that young people are getting into gangs is need for power and recognition.  " Some of the early signs that kids have joined gangs are signs or symbols parents haven’t seen before, changes in behavior at home or in school, becoming more secretive and starting to wear specific colors", says Bruce Ferrell, president of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations. 
I think that gang violence is a very increasing problem that needs to be addressed before getting worse.  I also think its important that more gangs are stopped so that less initiations happen and less deaths are caused.  Parents need to pay more attention to looking out for warning signs that their children are getting into gangs, because that could save a life.  

Violence with youth gangs

      "Gangs" describe as an organized group of criminal.  Lately there have been more and more young people getting caught up in gangs.  This recent article http://www.ehow.com/list_5955912_effects-youth-gangs-youth-violence.html  tells how violence is increasing in youth gangs.  Violence within gangs can be considered a way of life for the gang members. Violence can also be a way of getting into gangs and also earning more respect in them.  Drugs are a big part of gang violence.  Whether the gang member sells or uses drugs they can have a big effect on them.  If they use drugs that can start to have violent behavior.  Weapons are also a big way of creating violence with gangs, and can contribute to bigger crimes.  

      I feel that more programs in schools should be given focused on preventing gangs.  If more children are educated on the issue maybe less of them will join a gang.  I also think that they should make it harder to get weapons, and that parents just be more attentive to there child's life and know more about what there kid is getting into.  

Intro to Gangs

My topic is gangs. I chose this topic because gangs have been a problem and are becoming an increasing problem in this area and all around the country.  Gangs can impact everyone of our lives and the people around us if the issue doesn't get addressed. I also thought this topic was interesting because I have a family full of  law enforcement officers, so I get to hear about these kinds of issues all the time. In my blog I will focus on gang violence, crime, and the impact that those things have on the world around us.