Introduction
Gang life in the United States is common in poor black, white, and Latin neighborhoods. Gangs date back in the mid-20th century where people formed civil rights groups that later turned to gangs (Sloan, 2009). People often form gangs in a bid to protect themselves from other gang members, to make money and further find a way of dealing with their troubled childhoods. However, gang life is characterized by revenge against other gang members and leaving the gang life is not easy for a gang member. The government is on the lookout for gangs as the gangs are a cause of over a thousand deaths in the country. Revenge is characterized by shooting that at times leads to death or severe beatings. Leaving gangs can be possible if a person leaves the neighborhood, becomes a parent, or dies. Gang members can be both male and females and each ones role in the gang is distinct. Whereas Revenge and leaving a gang are similar due to the use of violence, they are different in the purpose that each circumstance accomplishes.
Comparison
Revenge and leaving the gang life are similar to each other because the violence is used in both instances. When undertaking a revenge mission gang members mostly use guns or weapons to beat other gang members. Revenge is carried out against rival gang members who shot or beaten up (“Shot at 15, he now had one goal amid Chicago’s relentless gunfire: Stay alive” 2017). For example, gangs in neighboring communities might be in conflict due to a battle for customers of their drugs. If one gang kills a member of the other gang, the rival gang will revenge thorough use of guns or beatings. Similarly, leaving the gang might be characterized by violence. One can leave the gang though death where gang members kill one of their own due to betrayals. For instance, if a Gang member gangs up with an enemy gang, tell their gang secrets, he or she can be gunned down, and therefore leave the gang through death. Whether leaving or revenging, gang life is characterized by use of violence and gunfire.
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Leaving the gang and revenge in gang life are similar to each other because in both instances, one must be a gang member. Getting into a gang is fueled by society failures such as a broken home, a notorious neighborhood, and lack of job opportunities (“Why Youth Join Gangs”, 2017). Areas that are more prone to gang formation are those with poor marginalized communities such as blacks and Latin Americans. While someone is getting into a gang, he or she takes vows to protect the gang’s interest at all time. The initiation process can be marked by violence through beatings from gang members. For someone to undertake on any gang activities, he or she must be initiated in the gang properly. A revenge team undertakes revenge and an individual or a group can do it. Leaving the gang voluntarily is especially hard because of the influence and the vows that members take as they get in the group.
Contrast
Revenge and leaving the gang are different in that with revenge one does something for the gang while leaving the gang one does it against the gang. When somebody is getting into a gang, he or she takes a lifetime vow to live for gang (“Shot at 15, he now had one goal amid Chicago’s relentless gunfire: Stay alive” 2017). However, there are instances where a person can automatically leave the gang. If a person becomes a parent or dies then one can automatically leave the gang. There are people however, who decide to leave gang life due to the violence they experience. However, it is not easy to leave due to the influence one experiences. On the other hand, revenge involves doing something for the gang. For instance, one can shoot a member of another gang because she or he wants to defend their gang territory. Gang members live like siblings by looking out for one another and thus revenge is common.
Revenge and leaving gang life are different because through revenge one can be able to cement their place in the gang (“Why Youth Join Gangs”, 2017). For instance, a person who constantly takes on revenge mission can rise through the ranks of the gang. On the other hand, leaving the gang is different from revenge because one is losing his or her place in the gang. When someone becomes a parent, or dies, another person occupies their place within the gang. He or she therefore gives up their position to other people within the gang.
Conclusion
Whereas revenge and leaving the gang involves a person’s life within a gang, the two circumstances are different. Revenge is similar to leaving the gang because in both instances gun violence is often involved. Moreover, the two instances are similar because one must have taken vows while getting in the gang in the firsts place. One can only be involved in gang life if he or she is a gang member. Taking revenge means that a person must be a gang member in the first place. Ideally, leaving the gang implies that a person was a gang member to start with. On the contrary, the two instances are different because in taking revenge one is cementing his place within the gang while leaving the gang one is surrendering their position. Gang life is dangerous because of enemy gangs and the police who are in the lookout for such gangs. Parents should caution their children against joining gangs while the government should provide more jobs to the youth to minimize their involvement in gang life.
- Shot at 15, he now had one goal amid Chicago’s relentless gunfire: Stay alive.. (2017). Washington Post. Retrieved 23 November 2017, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/local/2017/08/11/shot-at-15-he-now-had-one-goal-amid-chicagos-relentless-gunfire-stay-alive/
- Sloan, G. (2009). Gang life. Santa Ana, CA: Police and Fire Publishing.
- Why Youth Join Gangs. (2017). Nationalgangcenter.gov. Retrieved 23 November 2017, from https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Content/HTML/Why-Youth-Join-Gangs/story_html5.html.
