I took a picture of a blue flag, which probably represents the Crip gang. I chose this picture because I wanted to show what some people in my neighborhood grow up to be like. They become part of different gangs and groups that put their lives at risk.
I don’t think this should be going on in such young people’s lives because it can really mess up their futures. I feel that people in my neighborhood are at risk because some feel that they can’t get through school and want to drop out, so they join different gangs. Also they feel that they would be better than anyone else if they were in gangs.
I myself feel that if I dropped out to join a gang, it would be an insult to my intelligence. Going around killing each other won’t solve anything in my life. All it would do is mess up my chances of being a pediatrician.


Alexa Pinder
World Academy for Total Community Health

That is very true. But also many young teens join gangs because they feel like the gang is going to be there for them because they don't feel like they belong in their own home. I know a few teens my age who only joined gangs because of their homelifes. It all comes down to the family. Alot of kids feel like they don't belong, so they might join to gang just TO belong and feel loved & needed.

Yeah, I guess. But that's just the way it is. A lot of people where I live feel like they're never gonna get out of the hood, never gonna be anything, so there's no point in staying in school. And that's kinda the impression we get when teacher's don't care about us, they just want to make it through the day, and when the school board gives us no money, because they don't care what we turn out to be; they give all the funding to the rich communities becaues they're the ones that are gonna make it. So we feel like nobody cares, and there's no hope for us so we might as well drop out now and start fighting for something, even if it's a gang.

I personally, am not involved in gangs or anything, but it's really hard not to get involved. But anyways, that's just the way it is. I don't see gang violence being stopped anytime soon. I mean, there are programs like DARE but those aren't effective at all...