Gang Violence
Specific Purpose – To inform my audience about gang violence. I will explain the origin of gangs; the reasons people join gangs, what influences them, and the consequences of joining a gang.
Intro: Guns, Knives, Street fights, riots, people fighting all around, leading to injuries and sometimes deaths. These are all factors and items used in gang violence. I’m sure everyone here has heard of gang violence or maybe even had experiences with gang violence. Gangs came about over 100 years ago. A gang is a crew or group of people trying to get what they want or need without caring about how they get it. It’s almost like the mafia; they will hurt or kill anyone to get what they want. Each one is unique in …show more content…
According to Steve Nawojczyk, a researcher and a specialist in gang violence, in 1993 there were over 1000 gangs in Los Angeles and anywhere from 120,000 - 220,000 gang members.
d. A new survey from www.gangsandkids.com shows that today there are over 18,000 gangs and more than a half a million gang members. This shows how much gang violence and gang activity has increased during the past years.
Transition: (These statistics lead to my next point why do people join gangs?)
II. Why people join gangs? and What influences them?
a. Personally, I think people join gangs to feel comfortable.
i. People are influenced by others to join because they think it’s the “cool” thing to do. ii. They want to belong somewhere and feel important.
b. According to the Gang Intelligence Manual, by Bill Valentine, people join gangs to feel a sense of unity. They want to be around people that can relate to them.
i. Most people join crews because they want to make friends and fit in. ii. Others want protection, to them being in a gang is the best way to have …show more content…
Gangs are a part of life to some people, everything they do seems right to them. When it comes to gang affiliated activities, there are always consequences.
III. What are the consequences of gang violence?
a. Gangs are simply bad you can’t really say anything good about them. The more they think they are bad and the more people are scared of them, the more people will join that gang.
b. Everyday you hear something about a new act of violence. Someone is always getting raped, robbed, injured, or even killed.
c. What happens after gangs murder, rape, and rob? Some go to jail but families are broken, lives are shattered, people are hurt. Is it really all worth it?
Conclusion: So as you can see gang violence is very serious. I don’t think it is something that will ever leave our society, completely it is something that can be dramatically reduced. People become gang members for reputation, respect, and revenge. Some people want a sense of unity and protection, they want to be “cool.” Gangs’ rape, rob, injure, and kill. So the next time you hear about gangs, you should have a sense of who they are, what they do, and why you shouldn’t join