Gangs Essay -- Gang Essays

Gangs Introduction I. -A Los Angeles family takes a wrong turn into gang territory and is fired upon. A 3-year-old is killed and her 2-year-old brother wounded. -A Chinese immigrant in Brooklyn is kidnapped by a Chinatown gang which demands ransom payments from her family. She is murdered when the family fails to pay. -Two FBI agents and a police sergeant are murdered inside the Washington, D.C. police headquarters by a gang member. -A Pittsburgh police sergeant walking home with his daughter is killed with his own gun after he stops and confronts a gang spraying graffiti on a street. II. Resolved : that the Federal Government should pass laws to prevent the development gang related youth violence. Definitions- 1. Development: as defined in Websters Dictionary is â€Å"to make more elaborate; to enlarge† 2. Gang: as defined in Websters is â€Å"A group of persons who are organized and work together or socialize regularly; a group of adolescent hoodlums or criminals; gang up on; to attack as a group.† 3. Violence: as defined in Websters is â€Å"Physical force or activity used to cause harm, damage or abuse† 4. Youth: as defined in Websters is â€Å"The appearance or state of appearing young; the time of life when one is not considered a adult; a young person† III. Our current juvenile justice system is no longer adequate for today's hardened young gang members. Demographics indicated this problem is not going away. In fact, only will get worse. This is a serious problem that can not be left unchecked. If this is not addressed it will only lead to the decay of our society. We must take action to combat gangs in a new way. Vice President Albert Gore recently told the White House press corps, "Gangs have been a major cause of the growth in violent crime in the past decade." He cited a Treasury Department report that found the presence of rival gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, in 35 states and 58 cities across the country. At the same press conference, Attorney General Janet Reno cited the impact of disabling one gang in New Haven, Connecticut. Eighteen members of the "Jungleboy" street gang were put in jail, and, according to Reno, New Haven's murder rate fell by one-third in 1993. I. Outline of Need Arguments A. Problem: Many highly rated experts warn of the impending youth crime crisis. Youth violent crime has been... ...where gangs dominate life and rain violent crime. Many of these children join gangs to find purpose, security, and self-esteem. The gang culture gives them a sense of belonging and remakes their value system. Partying, fighting, and vicious gang loyalty become their primary values, thus pushing aside virtues that favor family life. This is a vicious cycle and it must be broken. Given that youth gangs account for a disproportionate share of youth violence, their potential for contributing to a future crime wave is enormous. A recent decline in violent crime appears to be more a result of fewer teenagers than better law enforcement. When the current bumper crop of elementary-age children become adolescents, the violent crime rate is likely to explode. Gangs are the powder magazine, they must be dealt with before the bomb goes off. Rebuttal extensions- Population of 14-18 year olds Now 17,620,472 5 Years 18,628,635 + 6 % 10 Years 20,284,601 + 15%