Violence is Not the Answer

Gangs and their behavior have become a big problem in society today. Their recklessness and criminal activity wreak havoc on the streets of our cities. Despite police efforts, gang members continue their destructive behavior.
Every year, an average of 349,400 American youth attempt to join a gang. Approximately 247,990 of them are "cool" enough to make the cut. 126,060 try to leave the gang, generally resulting in some form of physical abuse from the other members. This leaves 121,930 successful gang members every year. With an average of 87 crimes per year for each member, there are about 10,607,910 gang-related crimes each year in America alone.
A police officer from Seattle recently said that problems with gangs have grown to such large proportions that some stores have begun requiring identification for the sale of spray paints. A school janitor in Brooklyn, after scrubbing profanities off the walls for the seventeenth time that month, referred to the numerous crimes as "absolute chaos." Several people completing community service hours agreed with this description.
The term chaos provides us with our solution: organized crime. However, this type of organization leads to a decrease in criminal activity. A guidance counselor in Michigan reported last year a breakthrough in decreasing gang behavior. All gangs and their members in a small suburb of Lansing have been required to hold regular monthly meetings. According to the counselor, gang-related crimes decreased by 37% in three months alone. The members were kept busy with the duties required for their respective positions as gang officers. Obscene language lessened as well, because each meeting's minutes are posted in the local newspaper.
Apart from fewer crimes, there are other benefits to these gang meetings. Parents are pleased to send their children to these meetings. Not only do they know exactly where their children are, but also their children are able to be involved in a social activity which can prepare them for the harsh outside world they will one day have to face. Several cities in the New England states have instated monthly meeting for their own local gangs, and mothers are thrilled. One such mother raved about the system, saying that her son had previously been a part of criminal activity. Now, she is glad to report that he is utilizing his secretarial skills for his gang.
A certain young man has recently spoken out about his gang's meetings, although he has asked to remain anonymous for his own safety. He stated that "we're not like Boy Scouts. We don't just learn craft skills. We learn serious skills like street fighting." It is sure that such skills will prove useful as they face the cold, hard world.
So, it is not only janitors and other citizens who will prosper from this system of "gang government," but also the children. We must think of their future.