1. "He was a boy who had been physically abused, shuttled from one foster home to another, one juvenile facility after another. At every stage of Robert's young life, he was blocked from becoming all he could be. Yet there was nothing to stop him from getting a gun, using it and being killed by one in return."(26)
- What I believe this quote is saying is that this young boy turned to gangs because of the physical abuse that he faced, but most importantly because he perhaps sought a place in which he could fit in. I decided to choose this quote because to me it proves that children, teenagers, and adults, people in general, not only become gang related because of influence or by force, but mainly because they lack of motherly affection, love, family, stability, etc. On top of that physical abuse is something I believe can permanently damage someone. Coming across this topic and specifically this quote, it made me realize that abuse and neglect from family can be a major issue as to why people turn to gangs especially at such a young age. This particular quote helps me understand that these type of issues can be such an obstacle when forming ones character, but most importantly ones life.
2. "They organized to protect themselves within a society that had no place for them." (31)
- What I believe this quote says is that, as people emigrated from other countries to the United states they most likely faced problems about their position in society. Considering that they were immigrants I would assume they felt the need to build theses so called "street gangs" as way to keep people of their race together for protection; to create some type of allegiance. However, with time the definition of gangs changed. With that said, this quote is important because I learned that the main reason why gangs initiated was because of immigration and the thought of having protection for one's kind. Another reason why this is important to me is because being part of a family that emigrated to the U.S. I feel I understand how the Irish immigrants and immigrants in general, probably felt about not having a place for them or their ethnicity. And as to why the perhaps felt the need to create their own gangs.
3. "When society at large fails to develop true eldership and mentoring at the most basic community level and when the elders are not there to provide compassion, wisdom, experience, and meaningful and lasting knowledge, the young usually "sacrifice" themselves to drugs, violence gangs, and prisons, many times paying with their lives." (50)
- What this quote says is that when there isn't an outreach to the young people, most times the young gets lost and offer themselves to drugs, violence, gangs. Because they have no one to set a positive example. This quote also ties in with the family and the morals that are not provided for the youth, which in most cases it causes the youth to wind up in violence, prisons or worst. I think this quote is important because it addresses all of the things that are need to build good character and theses things are usually not always provided to the young. I believe it is important that parents, families and communities provide this to every child because it will give one hope and the chance to walk down a good path. Most importantly it can prevent violence, gangs, drugs and death.
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