Why Choose Gang Life?

Hi,

few things concerning violence that may be interesting and useful in the near future. This were taking from my reading material and mixed with my personal views:

ON VIOLENCE

Overall and for the most part violence is the product of people's acceptance of their cultural principles. Every nation had a need and established cultural principles that were based on "Honor."

"Honor" is accepted notion that represents man's power (men kill men 20 to 40 times more often than women kill women. And the lion's share of the killers are young men, between ages of 15 and 30(Pinker Steve, The Blank Slate, 2018)) of his strength of:

- physical

- emotional

- intellectual

- courage

- endurance

- integrity.

This strength is one's ability to be accepted into a social group of peers that are or who are striving to achieve or reach success in life-become financially independent and well established - status and prestige. That is why these young men are obsessed with respect, their cultivation of a reputation for toughness, their willingness to engage in violent retaliation for any slight, and their universal acknowledgment of the rules of this [street] code. (Alijah Anderson).

One of the reasons, if not the main reason, why young people are joining gangs is because: when an individual is being rejected by the peer-group (in school-classmates, sport teams, etc.) s/he will find other group of people who will accept him/her as one of their own. This is what will become division of cultures, values, and believe system, as well in love, sex, family, and beauty.

A.M.

This article comes from an incarcerated individual. He sent it to me yesterday and I found it enlightening and well-written. Thank you A.M.!