What does it mean to be a good, strong man? That is the question posed by the gang "problem" in the United States. That is the question that most males spend their lives trying to answer. A ten year old male faces two choices. He can choose gang life and become a bad strong man. Or he can choose "mainstream" life and never become a man at all.

The gang "problem" will not go away as long as it is impossible for males to pass from boyhood into manhood in the normal lifestyle. In the normal lifestyle, males are not allowed to be men either at work or at home. Thank God for gangs; their existence can guide us to the real solution.

The real solution is to return to a social pattern in which males are free to be men, real men, good, strong men, both at home and at work. Ditto for females, being free to be good, strong women.

Human society can survive bad men organized into criminal gangs. It cannot survive a general loss of understanding of what it means to be a good, strong man, a good, strong woman.

young people need a chance, and understanding stop turning your back to them, give them more teachers like Hime Escolante at least act like you care, if your an employer give them a chance lay down the rules, but dont be closed minded, youth are the future. give them job training, and a livable wage, so they can live with their head to sky, why do I say all this I was
a youth growing up in a broken home, I am white and my religion is jewish I ran from home when I was 15 had my own apartment worked my ass off hustled the streets and I was a white cholo with dickie pants long shirts and cholo shoes cholo walk the hispanic community excepted me because I learned how to speak spanish thats not the half of my problems I had
ADD the big monkey on my back, now I am a security officer working two jobs to support my
family no ever gave me shit so let me tell something when a youth knocks on your door dont slam it please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People are very disconnected. Last night, while walking on Castro Street, I overheard some Asian youths behind me commenting on "how disconnected white people are". People are supposed to be connected with each other, part of each others' lives. In particular, elders are supposed to be a part of the life of each youth, and youths are supposed to be part of the life of each elder.

During my childhood, I was very connected to my parents and to other adults in the community. When I sold lemonade out of my red wagon on the sidewalk, adults bought it and drank it right there. Adults said hello to children, and the children replied with friendliness and respect. These experiences were critical to my development as a person and as a man.

Perhaps I shouldn't have posted more than one comment, but I wanted to tell White Cholo that he is totally right about what we need to do.

"vulnerable to being labeled a gang member." -- what in the world does this mean? Labeled by whom? And with what consequence? Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. So what's in a name? or label? So many ambiguities -- this is bad reporting.

I take issue too with the underlying implication that someone who grew up in Mountain View is entitled to live here their entire lives. Hey, wake up, the area is changing. If you didn't study in school and make yourself a useful contributor, you don't get to stay in a wonderful place like Mountain View. There are many other places where it is far cheaper to live and you can live an honest life. Saying you have to break the law to stay in Mountain View is such a total cop out. How can you be proud enough to call yourself human?

"vulnerable to being labeled a gang member" means that you are automatically put on a file in the school because you have relations to a gang member, if you needed you have access to violent people, alsso how am i to move to a new comunity if i cant afford to live where i am? how am i to move? so i made monety to survive, and by the way i no longer live in my home town i moved to the valley makin 16.00 an hour as a phone banker, probally at your bank haha!

I know who went to talk to u guys its B!t¢,H @$$ PaYaSo From VMV (varrio montana vista) because of him being really good friends with the MVPD he was bait for a homie to get locked up. he lives in the section 8 housing on san luis near farley lol. You could at least try better to keep his identity "safe" LOL!!!!!

So my question is if you are doing work for a gang but not offical jumped in can you get out of it? And if so how? My friend who is 12 has a change of heart and wants out but says it's impossible cause he has done work(rep-ing) for the gang. Can someone give me some advice? pls