INTRODUCTION
What's a good thing that pops into mind when you think of gangs? I bet most of you here can't really imagine anything positive about gangs huh? That's mainly because of the media here today. We don't usually hear or see gangs having a positive effect on society. All we see or hear are negative effects that gangs promote especially on TV, magazines, and newspapers. But let me get more to that later.
BACKGROUND
Let me start off by describing to you people what a gang is. The legal definition of a gang is "a group of individuals bonded together by race, national origin, culture, or territory, who associate on a continual basis for the purpose of committing criminal acts". There are several different types of gangs. The most commonly found here today are street gangs. Street gangs have leaders, identifying signs such as clothing style, colors, hand symbols, or graffiti marked on their turf.
List of criminal gangs in Los Angeles, California
Image depicting member of MS13 gang. Work of the F...
Crip handsign.Some engage in criminal activities and they're committed to defend their reputation against any rival gangs. The more infamous stories about rival gangs found here today are the Bloods and Crips and the death of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Yeah, I admit it. Most gangs do promote negative effects such as drugs, alcohol, weapons, and violence. But in spite of all this, I support gangs. I believe we should attempt to help gangs by educating them instead of just trying to eliminate or criticize them.
POSITION/SUPPORT
Why, you ask? We as a people must realize that gangs consist mainly of teens and young adults just like us. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 90 percent of gang members are between the ages 12 and 21. We must understand that most teens join gangs because of racism, poverty, emotional needs, and social...