Street Gangs - Terrorists in Training [Final]

We are not safe. Just last year, four Filipinos were killed in gang related activities in Los Angeles. One of them was even a 76 year old woman who had no relation to gangs to warrant her death. The three others were either shot or stabbed repeatedly, but this old lady, Severa Madrona was BEATEN to death. Filipinos aren’t the only ones suffering, Sgt. Anita Shaw returned from her second tour in Iraq to bury her 17 year old son. She served her country! She believed she was making the world a better place to live in, a place to be safe, now she finds out her own kids cannot be safe in her very own country? Where is the justice in that? Kids aged 6 and 13 were shot when they were picking lemons for dinner, and where does America look? That’s right in Iraq. The terrorists aren’t there, they’re right ion our own backyards, whether you be Filipino or American.

To start, terrorism is an act of violence done by people whose goal is to inflict terror on the populace. The reason could be anything from political differences to something as sensitive as religious beliefs. Let me say this, terrorism is not just the big shots who bombed the world trade center, by definition, they are anyone who causes TERROR. Have you ever bullied a kid when you were young? If you did, then you can proudly say that you are a fucking terrorist. Good job, give yourself a pat in the back for inflicting terror at such a young age. A famous group such as Al Qaeda is not the only source of terrorism in the world. In fact, in our very own communities may lurk a perfect example of terrorist who although work in a smaller scale, the impact of their actions are still far reaching. I am talking about the gangs in our very own neighborhoods, the ‘tambays’, the gangsters, hoodlums, whatever you may call them they are all the same. They are terrorists.

Gang violence is a local form of terrorism that is common in many places in the Philippines and in the USA, particularly Los Angeles, California. The reason why I cited these two places is because that many Filipinos who migrated in the US is part of a gang. Examples of famous Filipino gangs in Los Angeles includes but are not limited to, Arkho Pinoy (AKP), Jefrox (JFX), Satanas (STS), Pinoy Boys Gang (PBG), Tau Gamma Pinoy (TGP), Pinoy Real (PR) among many others.

Let me make this to make it perfectly clear. FRATERNITIES are different from GANGS. I’m not saying that all fraternities are saints, but those in UP systems are monitored by the school and are required to host activities that HELP the community. The Sigma Rho fraternity holds outreach programs to the needy barangays and schools in the Makiling area while Tau Gamma Phi holds basketball tournaments between fraternities to make and maintain friendships and avoid conflict.

Sure at some point there are fights but that is not their intention. It started with a few bad words and got out of hand but it is not the reason for their being. If you can give me gang that truly helps a community then I will stand corrected. If not, then don’t lump fraternities with street gangs. You make me sick.

The problems that street gangs pose are many and all damaging to the community and its people in general not just fellow gangsters. They cause the people to be afraid when they walk alone in the night because they may be victims of gang violence (being mugged, mistaken for rival gang members), establishments are being broken into, crossfire, etc.

Another major issue is that gangs are the leading distributors of drugs in the streets. This is another problem! Not only do they take our kids but they also ruin the lives of many others by getting them hooked on illegal drugs like crack and heroine! This cannot be pardoned!

Young people are the hope of the nation. We cannot allow gangs to ruin their futures, their careers! Drugs are also the source of their money. With it, they buy guns that are readily available to them! With this in hand, violence increased exponentially, ruining many businesses and killing many lives!

All hope is not lost. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo proposed that the whole community be involved. People should report any witnessed gang activity to prevent its spread. However, this is not enough. People are scared! That’s the problem. No one wants to be involved. Another solution is that parents be prosecuted if their children join gangs, but I honestly believe that this is stupid! Parents have no control over what their children do or what they are exposed to outside their homes. Their families will only be stricken if the parents are prosecuted.

One of the solutions I have come up with (inspired by Lummis Day in LA) is prevention. Give them something else to do to help them avoid gang activity. If kids, starting from a young age, have the option to do something constructive, say start a band, youth camps, get them interested in outreach programs, then maybe, just maybe, they won’t join.

However, this will not be enough. They can still be victims of violence and terror. That’s why I propose something more hands on. Something more extreme. Gangs respect violence so we will give them violence. Declare WAR on them! Have the police given the task of wiping them out. Send strike teams to gang hideouts or hangouts. Kill all that stand in the way. This is brutal, maybe bordering on breaking human rights, but in turn, kids will be discouraged to join the gangs. The motto is simple, “Join a gang, get shot in the face.” How do you like them apples?

We can save the future generations. Prevent them from joining, and eliminate the ones existing. Remember that if there’s one rotten apple in the basket, all will be rotten as well. I say we remove that apple. We can save our kids!

Stop the fear! We are afraid. That is their goal! If nothing is done, then they will spread like a cancer and choke the life out of our community! Kill them all! Leave none alive! If blood must be paid for peace then we must pay it.