Free Republic

Once upon a time there was a young lion who had been separated from his father at a very young age. Having no role model to show him the ways of a true lion pride, he was lost. Eventually, a surrogate father stepped in to guide the young lion. This older, worldly lion taught the lion cub to imitate the hyenas that live off the fruits of other's labor and use any means necessary to obtain whatever they want. Under the tutelage of his stepfather, the young lion grew to be a successful hyena. As is always the case,...

[NB: this is from March 19, 1996] Salim Muwakkil reports on 21st Century Vote, an organization created by former members of Chicago’s largest street gang, Gangster Disciples. Wallace “Gator” Bradley, a former gang member turned community leader, praises the group for offering a more productive way for disenfranchised youth to channel their energy and take part in the political process. However, the police and mainstream media claim that the organization is simply an illegitimate front allowing the Gangster Disciples to gain more influence. Bradley defends 21st Century Vote as a group sincerely working to bring a stop to gang violence...