(ThyBlackMan.com) The war against gangs and drug dealers should be everyone’s concern because no one is immune to the horrendous crimes they commit. Gang criminals have become fearless enough to shoot down innocence youth and now uniformed police officers in broad daylight. This means everyone is a potential target for the thrill killers who roam the streets looking for victims and “robbin” as one young police murderer so boldly wrote on his Facebook page has become an extreme detriment to everyone. We have no idea what corners they lurk behind as evidenced by the recent ambush and pumping of 20 bullets into a thirteen year old youth on Chicago’s Southside, which may have been a mistaken identity.
Most of these young men (and women) operate out of ignorance as many cannot read pass the fifth grade level. In fact, if you want to see a gang 
member humble, try visiting one of their classrooms (the one’s that manage to make it to school) when they are asked to read. It is both sad and troubling to witness. A few years ago when I did a two-year stint as a substitute teacher in Ohio, I challenged two young students who claimed to be members of the Crypts and were boasting about some kind of book supposedly written in Egyptian code that they were to abide by. I asked them how they were able to follow something they could not even read and gave them an assignment to complete when they returned to homeroom later that afternoon. The assignment was to define the word Crypt. When they returned, not only could they not define the word, they did not even know how to look it up.
What we are dealing with extends far beyond a growing number of thugs who threaten the well-being of our children and families. The larger picture is the how organized crime or mafia-like groups who live in the suburban homes and tree-lined streets are able to operate successfully by providing shiploads of drugs and guns that create havoc in our communities. It has been said many times, drugs are not grown in the communities were these crimes are so blatant and there are no gun shops located within most city limits. However, both are rampant and deeply rooted in the reasons crime is so prevalent in many of our African American and Hispanic communities.
The backbones to these hoodlums who roam our streets are the people who are allowed to provide the elements of destruction and most assuredly money is the prevailing interest. The new mafia is quite similar to those in the days of Al Capone, only drugs have replace booze. They look like your next door neighbor and your kids go to school with them every day. Their wives are soccer moms and shop in the most exclusive stores. They take expensive trips and some are even disguised as upstanding citizens, legitimate business owners and are respected in their communities while allowing other communities and innocent young children to be murdered as animals to support their style of living and underworld criminal activities.
As gang criminals bred out of ignorance and lack of parental guidance become more comfortable and continue to get away with committing “robbin” and murder, they will eventually move into other areas considered to be comfortable and removed from urban cities. The mere fact that the city of Chicago’s beloved Taste of Chicago was affected this summer when they had to cut the hours due to several violent confrontations is an indication of the potential danger and why we should be concerned about a societal issue that threatens the well being of all citizens.
Staff Writer; Sheila Agnew
For more work by this talented writer visit the following site; “Mo Better” Inspiration by Sheila.