Gang Diversity

The latest national gang survey tallied 26,000 gangs with a total enrollment of around 850,000 members at any given time, nation wide. Gang member now tend to be older than they used to be 63% are young adults and now only 37% are juveniles, also more girls and involved with gangs now than ever. 38% of gang members are female, but they tend to abandoned gang life earlier than men do. About a hundred years ago, large amounts of gang members were White. But by the late 1970s, about 80% of all gang members were Black or Hispanic.
Gang problems are becoming bigger in every city but especially impacting large cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. It's going to become more prevalent in our youths lives and if things don't start to change now then the violence and number of casualties will only become far worse.
The movie "Redemption" that shows and talks about the life of Stanley Tookie Williams is a very good example of how things should change. He was the leader of the Crips and he was convicted of several robberies and murders and was put away in prison for life. However later in his life he became a five time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, an author of several books including "anti-gang and violence literature."
He also helped with drug busts and he attempted to make peace with the bloods. After this tremendous change he was executed in 2005.
I'm not saying that he should have been released but he never should have been killed because of the alter in his life and changes that he made, not just to get out of jail, because he knew he would never get out.

1. What are your thoughts, feelings, etc, as you read these articles?

-I dont think that anyone can say for sure that he did this as an act of terrorism. It would be unfair to assume that, and even though its unfair to the families who lost someone because of him, they need to look beyond his religion and look at the real problem because there will be more incidents like this.


2. What role do you think terrorism played in this massacre, if any? Why? Do you think that there was an terrorist organization behind the shooting?

-I dont think terrorism played any part in this shooting. I think it was all the build up in his head from the war. If you watched people die and heard these terrible stories I'm sure that you would get out of line. In no way am I saying this is ok.


3. What role did racism or religious persecution play in this incident? Why?

- I think they are looking directly at his religion when they need to be looking past that. because like they said in the article psychiatric illness is what the focus should be on.

4. Do you think a lot of Muslim Americans have the same feelings as this man? Why or why not?

- Not just Muslim Americans, there are lots of people in America that are against the war but they probably aren't participating in it in anyway. He could have just wanted to help but didnt know what he was in for.


5. What do you think the military could have done to prevent this from happening? Why do you believe this? Were there signs that this man had the potential to do something like this? What were they?

-There should be more resources for soilders and people serving in the war when they come home because no one understands what they are going through and that just makes them feel more alone. There were signs I guess that the military sort of looked at but didnt actually act upon, like all the statements he made aout ani-american. If they really believed something was going to happen or that he was unstable to be in the army then they shouldnt have let him go to Afghanistan.


6. Talk about the leadership of Kimberly Munley (the woman who stopped the shooter). What did she do? How would you have reacted in the same situation?

-She put her life at risk and directed the attention to herself away from the wounded soldier. I think i would be terrified but just on impulse i would do the same thing.

7. What does this incident say about race relations in America? Specifically with Arab-Americans and Muslims? Is there a reason that Muslims and people from the Arab world feel a certain way about
America?

-Definitley, after 9/11 Americans have had a growing hatrid for middle easterns. It is just natural for people now to be nervous when they see someone of a different religion or decent boarding a plane. It's a stereotype that is only going to make things worse and make violence increase.

My article was written by Marina Fanshteyn who is Deaf. She has been Deaf all her life and she talks about how she has overcome hardships and the disadvantages that she faces. She started in Ukraine and when she was 18 her parents decided to move to the United States and she knew this was a land of opportunities. She attended a Deaf school in Northern California and from there transferred to a college in Massachusetts. She worked at getting her BA and also helped represent 10,000 Deaf people.

1. This shows she had lots of courage
2."I have the ABILITY not the disability so have you. You just need to focus on what the Universe offers you and it's YOUR CHOICE to move forward, to move up to the next level, to inspire others, to be a better and stronger you!" She is talking to everyone not just people with disabilities because we all have some sort of disability.
3.I don't know if it will affect anyone but i hope that it gets people to realized that they can do something about any situation, it's all up to them.
4.This is important because it shows that there are no excuses you just have to do it, you can't be satisfied with just ok, you have to keep striving to be better and that's when you will find success.

I think everything i just said is totally true,the only person that can change something is yourself. If you dont like the results that you are getting then something needs to be done, you need to work harder. This happens in everything; school and life being the 2 most relevant to high school and college kids.

1. What are your thoughts about this case? How did the video make you feel or think? Should the athlete be charged criminally for this act? Why/Why not?

2. When competing in contact sports, should you have the same rights and protections as you would as an ordinary citizen regarding assault or should there be an expectation of violence? Why/Why not?

3. From each stakeholder perspective I want you to answer the following:
Here are the stakeholders: both players, each players parent, police (or state), teammates of both players, the coach, the athletic director and principal.

How would this make you feel?
What would you want done about this situation?
What would you do about this situation?


1. He should be charged criminally because a helmet can be considered a weapon especially if it is used like this. What if he would have died from the injuries, then would they not even be questioning this.

2. You should have the same rights and protections. In football or any contact sport you're allowed to have contact and hit but there are rules that you can't break just like in life. If it were a boxing match for example you can't put spikes in your glove and bash them in the face just like you can't use your helmet as a weapon.

3. If i just got hit in the face like that i would be pretty upset and i would definately want him to be charged, but i would not retalliate.
-If i were the kid that hit him i would just feel stupid now, its a football game-calm down. I obviously wouldn't want charges pressed against me but i deserve a punishment for sure. I would make a public apology.
The victims parents- I would be angry i would make sure he got pressed with charges, I would talk with the other kids parents to see where this came from in him.
The defendants parents- I would be embarrassed and make him apologize and do punishments if he didn't get charges pressed i would treat it like he did, like community service.
Police- I would be confused on what to do, i would treat it like a criminal situation.
Victims teammates- I would want to seek revenge but i know i wouldn't and i would make sure that my team didn't either but i would want to play that team again.
Other team- I would be embarrassed and ashamed I would want the whole team to be punished for his actions so he knows he is hurting everyone.
Coach- I would make sure the team isn't angry so that they don't make these mistakes and i would let the other team know that our team is not mad at you, that we don't look down upon you and we look forward to playing you again. The other coach I would make them work harder or i would bench all of my varisty and make them earn their positions.
AD- I would get all athletes together to talk to them about this situation so that it doesn't happen again in any sport and figure out a different way to express your anger or excitement

This article is talking about character education and civic learning for our youth. It gives examples of the holocaust and how some German officers actually helped some of the Jews in the camp and they don’t know why or the names of the few that did. A quote from this says “they did not stop to think what they were doing, they simply just acted.”
I think that education should be more about the developing of character and heart rather than book smarts, even though having intelligence in text is important, your character and heart will take you a lot further. If we are educated about our decisions and learn how to become conscious of others and our actions that is where true leadership and success comes from. People/teachers can teach you everyday out of a book but they can only teach you so much about your actions and from there you have to do it by yourself.