I sit in my classrooms, sometimes in rows, other times in groups, just looking around. I see all my peers and without any trouble point out the class clown, jocks, teacher’s pet, slackers, and then the loners. What I notice most though, is not these high school cliques, but more of the student sitting there by himself, not a part of these groups. Keeping quiet, no one ever notices. I’ve heard the whispering of the others, all talking about “that kid.” So continuing to look, I wonder; where’s the threat? Next thing I know class is over and I’m walking through the halls. I see “that kid” again but this time he’s with all his friends. There are people who look as if they don’t belong, and normally that’s exactly how they feel. These people find others who have this same problem and they form a bond like a family. Standing up for each other from discrimination and fighting for people who don’t show them respect. But I see nothing wrong with this. I call these people family, some call them friends, but people mainly refer to them as gangs. So my problem isn’t with gangs, it’s with the way they are treated and are thought to treat others.


At the hotel I work at I asked guests, “In one word how would you describe a gang?” Most guests said violent, dangerous, or separated. Yet I would have to disagree. I know some of these gangs but would never describe them as any sort of threat. Instead the terms family, care, and harmony come to mind. With all these contrasts are they really all that different?



See it as a view of a family. Typically families care about each other more than anything. So if one person were to mess with someone in that family, things could get violent which would be very dangerous. Even if families are separated, in times of need they can work in harmony. Same goes with gangs. Many of these gang members get judged from where they come from or how they look. But that’s not always the reason why they become a part of one. From experience, I’ve seen people join gangs because they feel accepted because they’re whole life they’ve been out casted by these high school stereotypes. They care about each other enough to stand up against the people who look negatively against them. Can you blame them?



From an online site (Answerbag.com) a person asked, “What do you think should be done about gangs in our society?” Another person responded saying, “Let's do what they did in Chicago. Get the cops, FBI, etc. and arrest them all. Wipe them out. If they shoot, kill them. Let them be immortalized in songs and movies like the Chicago gangs, but wipe them out.” Now note that the person asking the question used the word, “our.” Our society, meaning everyone’s, shared, that includes these gangs. Gangs are like a war. Yes they can be violent but with a cause. People stress what they see on Gangland and assume all gangs want to do is hurt people. So a natural reaction is to want them gone. But what people don’t realize is that they judge and attack these “gangs” violently, yet still wonders why those gangs want to act violently back. It’s like if a person was to stand outside and try to blow the wind away from their face. Not only will the wind still hit their face, but so will the air they used to try and keep it away.



I’ve seen another example from the famous cartoon since 1969, Scooby Doo. Many, as a young child, used to sit and watch this cartoon trying to figure out who the person in the monster costume is. So when Fred says, “Come on gang!” we know that means business or another scene of dancing while being chased. Though the question remains, where’s the threat?



A person rarely expects respect. So why these gangs should give other people respect if all anybody does is hate and judge them is beyond my knowledge. Instead of trying to wipe out these gangs, why don’t we try to form one big one? Like the United States of America, the people can become united under one bond; getting rid of the mask being worn from those out casted. People in gangs come from all different backgrounds. They’ve learned to accept other people. So now my question is when will the rest of the world accept them?