July 21, 2004

A street gang is three or more people who associate together on a regular basis and sometimes claim a specific location or territory. They have an identifiable organization or hierarchy, and either individually or collectively engage in antisocial, unlawful or criminal activity in an effort to further the gang's social or economical status.
  • Very interesting, I think.. I especially loved the first link. Thanx
  • Fantastic link collection. The photos of the babies depress the hell out of me, particularly #23 in the first link and this kid.
  • This sounds uncannily similar to the definition of a country. Good read regardless.
  • Powerful photos; great collection on links. Synchronistically, I've been thinking about gang-violence today, as there was a shooting at my bus stop, 2 blocks from my flat on Monday night. Very disturbing (hard to find words to describe how shattering it is to watch 6 police holding down a hysterical woman who has just seen her sister shot in front of her; impossible to really imagine her anguish). I am emphatically grateful to have only witnessed the aftermath. What strikes me particularly is the insularity of the gang affiliation. Those involved in Monday's shooting are connected with a gang from a particular neighbourhood in Kingston, Jamaica (here = south London). When I lived in south L.A., it was similar - very tight neighbourhoods coalesced into gangs. It is remarkable to me that these groups can transplant to the other side of the world and still maintain those same criteria of community.
  • The images in the first link were incredible & shocking.