Gangs: Who's problem is it?

When I think of streetgangs in Utica the first question I ask myself: Do I know a gang member? The answer: I don't think so.

Crips, Bloods MS13 don't seem to have a chapter here. I think even the Freemason's may have problems recruiting in Utica.

I could be wrong, but I do not think there is practical way to measure gang activity outside of jail.

Drug dealing, murder and drive-bys are the informal earmarks law enforcement looks for. But what do you do in a community that already had those earmarks sans the gang graffitti? I think it is a matter of perception. There have been people in Utica combatting streetgangs for fifteen years. They thought there was a gang problem then.

Crime and Gangs are nothing new to Utica what is new is the awareness. It is not as if Utica suddenly woke-up and the Gangs snuck in over night.

Gangs were, that is , they used to be, a by-product of disenfranchisement, during a time of rampant institutional racism the average black man was condemned to the inner city by segregation forced to compete amongst his own for few meager scraps (limited living wage jobs).

Different groups of men from the same neighborhood, with nothing to do all day, began to hang together, a charismatic member of the group gave them a name, then they began to talk about their dreams and their realities and , most important, their struggles. This scenario played out all over the American inner cities during the civil rights era. The revolutionary rhetoric, the dream of total freedom,was being lived through these groups. They didn't fear police, they lived according to and created their own set of rules and laws. They created their own governing bodies. The original mission of many 'Nations' was independence from 'the man', protection from the police and peace of mind.

Police behaved a lot differently in the city back in those days. The noose of racism has loosened its death grip but the marks remain, gangs account for the societal scars endured by generations of people cheated out of their dreams.

Gangs are by-product of poverty, illliteracy and indifference. They survive on cynicism, hopelessness and greed. Now they are profitable. Not only on the streetcorner but Wallstreet as well.

Gang culuture has gone corporate, just look around at all the products our young people are wearing. The gang symbolism is rampant everywhere and for the well informed, it appears to be a mainstream phenomenon.

What are your kids wearing. Do they know the 'crip walk'? Do all their friends wear the same colors and do funny hand shakes?

The sciences of sales and marketing has been applied to 'do-rags' , bandanas, and even prison apparel. The street culture has redefined what it means to be a 'gangsta'. They are after your kids, corporate America says: "there is money in this gang thing just like the grunge thing".
Stay tuned for Crips cereal" Crips are for kids!!!!

The suits of 'The Dapper Don', the traditional gangster image, have been replaced with oversized jeans, giant chains, and even bigger medallions. The richest and most successful thugs in Americsan history on the wrong side of the law will never be known; that is gang culture.

Do all these things exist in Sin City er' Utica?

What is the purpose?

If you are familiar with me, great, wonderful. I am glad you would take the time out of your important day to take a look inside my head. The internet provides sooooooo much information,unfortunately it is only as good as the person using it- it is only fitting that it also provide a space for thoughts, simple thoughts.
There is soo much going on in Utica, The Mohawk Valley, Iraq, Virginia Tech, IMUS...... all these stories intermingle adding to our perception of 'the world'. That is why I will focus on the things that I know.
It is raining today.
Violence is bad.
Love is good.
Keep negative opinions to yourself( this is not something I know or do, but I will try).
I am going to try to incorporate some of these standards in my everyday life and in my writing and remember all these stories, events, that happen outside of my reality are important but there is little I can do by opining on the best way to deal with something that already happened. I am more interested in 'forward thinking', progressive issues that will improve the lives of our children(future generations).
I am not perfect I am sure I will forget what I wrote earlier and descend into a rant about something, I will point out all the truths that prove me right. It is a tired dance, right and wrong, but it is what makes us human.
The Utica Phoenix will also be a favorite topic, our stories, boring to some, speak to the underreported segments of our society.
It is such a pleasure to be independent of corporate interests, at least on a direct level where we do not have to compromise our integrity. We have the freedom to speak out, to go against the grain, and do some honest to goodness reporting.
We, in the media, all know there is a story behind the story. In this forum, anything goes. This will be the spot to air your grievances, discuss contoversial issues that directly affect us Uticans. Please be anonymous, we all know how small this city is, especially if you rub someone the wrong way.
I hope to hear from you........ The Phoenix Reader