Friend or Foe

A community that I wanted to write about would have to be the gang community.  I just want to be clear that I am not in any way or form in a gang or ever have been. However, many of my love ones for my neighborhood where in little clicks or clubs so at an early age I knew what a gang was and what they were all about. Growing up in North Oakland I have seen gangs come and go. To some people in my neighborhood their gang was all they had, or all they were ever taught to love. Some of the gang members that I have come across where people from the same neighborhood that they have grown up with or friends and family who are down for the cause whatever that may be. I have seen members interact with each other as another sort of family. The gang members look out for one another and holding the other accountable for his or her actions. I have seen some gangs interact with each other very violently, and others would not hurt a fly. From what I have encountered the goal of a gang is to make money, respect the code whatever it is, and protect its members

From the people that I have encountered in neighborhood gangs, they so choose to be in that gang and know the risk and limitation of being involved. I know also that you can be born into a gang as well if your family is seriously with the business.  Some people join gangs because they need protection, others just for the family oriented environment of it all. I personally thought growing up that the risk far out weighted the strengths of being in a gang. In my neighborhood their where not many peaceful gangs, a lot of my friends lost their lifes in the “Fonk” or battles. It still bothers me to this day that my love ones get so raped up in the hood life that they can’t see that grinding and hassling will not get you far, you might get by for a while but the percentage who make it are slim to none. I at the same time admire my neighborhood folks that are living the struggle that they have the heart to stand up and be proud of the neighborhood they came from and stuck with what they where thought because it was all they know. I dislike the people who know better but what to join a gang just because, people who pretend to live the life. I dislike the people who join gangs knowing that they had the opportunity to do some then must more great in their life’s. I dislike gangs but I understand the purpose of one and wished my brothers and sisters stuck together in a peaceful and unified manor .I wished my people would realize that life is too short to go through it with regrets and not making the most out of your time on earth.