The New Gang

When people think of gangs the immediate thoughts of drugs and violence accompany the idea. Within Kotlowitz’s book gangs are discussed and so are their influences on the community whether it is good or bad. With that being said one wonders what good can actually come from gangs residing in a neighborhood but the truth is that they did or do give back to the community in some form or another. The thing I found most interesting in the book is how Jimmie Lee, a major gang leader in the neighborhood was seen as a “real gentleman” and looked up to in a sense within their community. As a father is hitting his young daughter the gangster knocked the father to the ground and told him to never disrespect the kids. It shows that even a violent gangster has a set of morals and values and has respect. Little situations like these gave Jimmie Lee respect, as well as the fear that he earned on the streets. In the book it is talked about how Jimmie Lee actually buys food for those that can’t afford it, and he actually gives back to the community which is another way he is looked up to and respected. When I first read this I thought of a show I've watched called “Gangland”. A motorcycle gang named the Hell’s Angels was under the microscope and even though they are selling drugs and killing other gangsters they had time to do things like buying out toys in a store to give to children’s charities. They also do things like protecting businesses and homes which people of the community appreciate. In the book there was an example of a gang leader protecting homes and businesses during riots in the city and it was appreciated by the community and the leader was invited to President Nixon’s inauguration. Jimmie Lee actually tells young kids to stay away from gangs and drugs, maintaining his plausible deniability, but also keeping kids on a path to success. At one point the book they talk about how a young politician hires and pays gang members for certain work. In the book we read it is also said that the bulk of the drug selling is not sold to “insiders” but “outsiders” of the community. There is drugs sold in the community but most of it travels outside of the community so the home turf of the gang is better off than surrounding areas when it comes to drug use. One can argue a gang provides a source of income to those that live in jobless ghettos even if it is criminal activity. The structural influence of gangs in some places is great and is positive to a point, but they also remain at the center of violence and drugs in big cities. 

As much as gangs do for poor communities they won’t ever be an answer to those types of problems. If a gang leader buys children shoes or families food he eventually expects this favor to be returned in one form or another. For example he might give money to families in exchange for them not to go to the police. From the lack of policing in these communities it seems like no matter what residents do they can’t get the attention of them anyway. In the book a shootout between gangs went unreported and instead of helping the police took over which just shows the lack of policing. Gangs and their drug trade destroy their community even if they sell mostly to outsiders and surrounding neighborhoods. The violence between gangs kills not only gang members but innocent people in the communities and there is nothing they can do about that. Gangs may try to protect the neighborhood from itself but in the end they always do more harm than good. They tend to keep the cycle of poverty rolling as they trap the residents in the place they most hate. The idea of a gang used to be almost a sort of fraternity between brothers to protect each other. Again, in the show “Gangland” the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club described it as a brotherhood and how they have each other’s back and look out for the community. Today gangs are simply about money and power and this creates more violence. The new gang members are the ones who do anything to get a hold of power. The gangs in the book are the gangs of the past with some value to the community, while the modern gangs are about nothing but money, drugs, violence and power.