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Hail, Hail, the Gangs All Here!
Groups are categorized in many different ways. We have flocks, herds, coveys and schools and we even have a gaggle. But, there is one particular grouping that has been in the news over the past few years and now they find themselves in the middle of a controversy that could prove to be very hazardous to their gathering enterprise. I am of course speaking of that grouping known as a “gang.” We have heard many descriptions as to what constitutes a gang, but the definition is still up in the air and far from having a consensus. Well, we may not know exactly what a gang is but most of us are well aware of the destruction that they leave behind.
Unfortunately, gangs have become as much a part of our conversations as anything that we might talk about, even if we don’t really know what one is. But, we do know this, gangs have become a violent part of our county’s landscape and have contributed in great numbers to our crime rate. It is no longer an issue with kids who are “wanna-be’s.” We now have kids who are full fledged gang members and have no problem with committing crime including, in some cases, homicide. We recently had our first homicide of the year with gang affiliations, but I am betting that it will not be our last. The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the level of violence being dolled out by gang members against each other, as well as, toward people who have no affiliation at all. We have made great strides in confronting these issues with our law enforcement agencies, but we cannot afford to rest.
In this years Legislative session, a bill has been introduced that will make it a criminal activity to even associate with gang members. It would not be necessary to actually commit the crime, but in fact through a preponderance of the evidence, someone could be found guilty simply as a matter of hanging out with the wrong crowd. Now, you better believe that before the ink is dry on this bill, the protestors will come out of the wood work. I can already hear claims of racial and cultural profiling, overzealous police tactics, and on and on. Anything that attempts to be done to prevent crimes such as gang related crime is not going to sit very well with some people. They would rather look at individual and isolated issues that they uniformly categorize as individual freedoms, as opposed to a much larger picture in which innocent people are being victimized at the hands of criminal gangs. They will say that we cannot punish someone just because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I will agree that it is possible to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, I cannot recall the last time that I happened to look up and say, “Oh my goodness, I am hanging out with a bunch of gang members. How could this be?”
There comes a time in our lives that we must accept responsibility for our actions. If we are going to hang out with people and in areas that a great likelihood exists for criminal behavior, we cannot look shocked when the event occurs. If this new law passes, our new found amazement about where we are and who we were with is going to be a weak defense. We will be guilty of association. A conscious thought process and effort will lead us to that scenario and a reasonable response will lead us way; unfortunately in cuffs.
Political correctness is becoming a term that is getting under the skin of many people. It is often used as a crutch in order for certain people to do things that they know that they shouldn’t do, but also realize that it is not politically correct to address their wrongs. This way of thinking may look good on paper and may sound good as it is spoken but in the real world the results can be deadly.
We have legislators who are trying to fix a problem that we all agree is about to tumble out of control. As citizens, we have asked them to try and tackle this problem. It will be a shame if the tackle is nullified based on a flag thrown from the far left bleachers for unnecessary roughness. The play may be up for review, but should never be overturned.
Our futures, our children’s futures, and this county’s future will rely on it. Standing near a gang….might be a good idea to walk away quickly!
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your next club or group meeting, please email contact information to:
SHallBadgeNotes@aol.com
022005
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