You have no idea how many black people agree with this statement. People still living in these urban war zones would cheer if someone came in and rounded up all the gang bangers.
It's only the hard-core, politically active left in these communities that keep the local politicians and law enforcement from cracking down on gangs with the requisite level of force to stomp out the scourge.
Black citizens groups have tried time and time again to get their local governments to effectively handle the gang problems in their areas. In response, politicians and LE officials have instituted new anti-gang procedures and divisions to combat the problem, but the hard left in those communities has ensured that they have no real teeth.
In turn, this has created a new phenomenon of "black flight" away from traditionally black neighborhoods.
“You have no idea how many black people agree with this statement. People still living in these urban war zones would cheer if someone came in and rounded up all the gang bangers.”
When I was a younger man, and more cocky, I used to buy distressed apartment complexes in poor neighborhoods. I bought them dirt cheap because they generally were rife with gangs and those wonderful things like prostitution and drug dealing they support. I made a bit of money by cleaning them out and setting up tough standards by which we rented based upon character. If you were twenty something and looked like a gangbanger or if the teenage child of a prospective tenant looked like a gangbanger we would not rent to them. It is legal to discriminate against folks who you reasonably deem would not fit in the “ambiance” of the community. Not on race, age, religion, etc. but you can by the type of person they appear to be. My rule for my managers were...if the person you are about to rent to was walking down the same sidewalk as your favorite grandmother at night and they scared her...turn them down.
Sometimes we would have to get the neighborhood involved in community watch programs we would set up.
It was scary work, but very rewarding financially as well as aesthetically. Just because people may be poor does not mean they cannot live in decent places that are well kept, safe, and with good service.
Now I am a semi-retired country gentleman who moved away from the state I did that business in as I made a few hard core enemies. But, I may move back someday as I think it has been long enough and I have little doubt most of the bad guys I had to deal with are dead or in prison probably.
Sorry Windflier, I have a different perspective.
You see, I am one of those police officers that work gangs, narcotics and violent crime. I have seen far more vigils against the police doing their jobs than against gang violence. Oh sure, everyone wants to clean up gangs (not really) until it’s their kid that is caught up. I cannot count how many times over the last fifteen years I told someone that their kid was running in a set, and was told that I was lying.
Mothers, (there are no dads) simply won’t even believe it when you show them the Myspace or Bebo site their kids created with all the gang trappings. They just make excuses like, oh that’s just the style, or that’s someone elses gun.
I have met with a few mothers who desperately tried to keep their kids out of gangs but because they are working two jobs to keep food on the table, (something a real man who gave a chit about his kids would do) they lose track of their kids. Those kids have to join a gang or be a punching bag everyday. The gang becomes the leading influence in their lives.
Someone made a comment that the US is looking at third and fourth generational gang families. That is absolutely true.
Folks, gangs are a huge problem. The best way to keep one out of your neighborhood is to crush it right away. Don’t let your children adopt thug behavior. Keep the police informed about what is going on. Work with them. The first house that shows signs of gang activity, the men need to go down there and make it ABSOLUTELY known that gang activity will not be tolerated.
You can’t save the inner cities. They are done. Fini.
But you can save your suburban neighborhoods if you want to.