City Gang Violence “Chicago”
I. Introduction
Introduce conflict
II. History/Background
III. Cause of conflict
IV. Triggering events
V. Conclusion
City Gang Violence “Chicago”
Poverty in Chicago was the direct cause of my conflict. “To put this in perspective, consider that Chicago has the third-highest poverty rate among major U.S. cities, and for black people in particular, Chicago is number one, with a rate of 32.2 percent” (Zimmer, 2012, para. 4). Being surrounded by poverty takes a toll on people, which makes it hard for people to survive on their own. “Protracted joblessness means insecurity and economic hardship, but it also takes an emotional toll and often goes hand in hand… with increased rates of violence” (Zimmer,2012, para. 6). Feeling separate from society people came together in gangs to feel important and to have support through the hard times.
Zimmer, T. (2012, August 27). Chicago’s violence at its source. Gapers Block, Retrieved from http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2012/08/27/chicagos-violence-at-its-source/
City Gang Violence “Chicago”
Drugs were the direct cause of my conflict. I say this because selling drugs was a way of making fast and easy money in Chicago. According to Hardiman (2012) “The late ’60s there was a surprise shipload of pure heroin dumped off in the African-American community that helped to destroy several thousand families throughout the nation” (para. 2). People were so addicted to drugs that the supplies for it became greater. That’s how gangs became so popular; when you have more than one person selling drugs you will make much more money. “Cocaine and the lure of fast money destroy values in the ghetto. Everybody wanted to be somebody other than themselves. This also led to people turning against their own people due to greed and power” (Hardiman, 2012, para. 6). Drugs made people turn one another and people needed protection and gangs were there to protect them from it.
Hardiman, T. (2012, August 28). Understanding the root cause of violence in Chicago. Huffington Post Chicago, retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tio-hardiman/understanding-the-root_b_1836319.html
Listening in…To Gang Culture
Beare, M. E., & Hogg, C. (2013). Listening in… to gang culture., Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 55(3), 421-452
Gang violence in Canada is a serious problem just like in Chicago. Polices are taking a different approach by wiretapping phones. “This allowed researchers to gain information about the lives of gang members” (Hogg, 2013, para.11). Throughout the article the author shows conversations gang members were having. With this evidence the police were able to convict a lot of people affiliated with gangs.
I chose the article “Listening In… To Gang Culture” by Chris Hogg because it gives the inside scoop on how gangs operate through police wiretap. It presents a broad overview because the author focuses on gang streets code, violence in prison, and drug trafficking. The article relates to my conflict because it shows how gang violence isn’t just in Chicago it’s in Canada to.
The other America 2012
Ambramsky, S. (2012). The other America. The Nation, 294(20), 11-18.
Poverty is the state of being poor. Throughout the article Sasha Abramsky talks about how poverty in America is being ignored. She interviewed over a thousand of impoverished Americans about their experiences. Americans are struggling and it seems like the government is doing anything about it.
I chose the article “The other America 2012”by Sasha Ambramsky because it talks about poverty in America. “Forty-six million American survive on food stamps, an increase of more than 14 million over the past four years, at an annual cost to the government of about $65 billion” ( Abramsky, 2012, pg.12). I found this article interesting because it doesn’t pick on specific race of being in poverty. When you don’t have any money you’ll do anything to make money. So people turn to illegal ways on how to make money which include joining a gang.
Law and Violence
Menke, C. (2010). Law and Violence. University of California Press, 22(1), 1-17.
The law can contribute a big deal to how crime is just, simply, ignored. The government and/or the police do not put all effort into stopping crimes and, sometimes, actually contribute to breaking the law. In the article, Law and Violence, author, Christoph Menke discusses how the law is supposed to put an end to crime, but it, merely, does not. The article states, “Law is justified violence” (Menke, 2010, Pg.1). Law is power and too much power could be taken advantage of. Many political figures ignore the violence that takes place in their cities, but avoiding a situation does not make it better. “Law is about power, its own power” (Menke, 2010, Pg.1).
The article “Law and Violence” relates to my conflict City gang violence “Chicago” because it is dealing with violence in general. In the article it says “law is itself a kind of violence; because it imposes a judgment that determines its “subject” like a curse” (Menke, 2010, para. 3). This is showing how laws and violence is like a curse because you can never get rid of it. Being in a gang is like having a curse because there is no way out of it.
Gangs, Guns, and Drugs: RECIDIVISM AMONG SERIOUS, YOUNG OFFENDERS.
HUEBNER, B,VARANO, S, & BYNUM, T. (2007) Gangs, guns, and drugs: Recidivism among serious, young offenders. Criminology & Public Policy.6(2), 187-221.Is a research study to understand the behavior of young men who repeat crimes. The study shows “The dramatic growth in violence is largely attributable to the availability of weapons, the recruitment of young people in to illicit drug market, and gangs” (Huebner, Varano, & Bynum,2007). Gangs, guns, and drugs put together create more violent crimes.
I chose the article “Gangs, Guns, and Drugs: RECIDIVISM AMONG SERIOUS, YOUNG OFFENDERS.” by Beth Huebner, Sean Varano, and Timothy Bynum because it focuses on gangs, guns, and drugs which is the bigger theme of my conflict. The authors found a lot evidence to support their research. What I found interesting was how they went inside of the prison and did a study
This is a video from History channel show called “Gangland” it tells the inside stories of some of America’s most notorious street gangs.
Purpose: To give information about one of Chicago’s most notorious street gang the “Gangster Disciples”. To learn how they’ve shaped their times and affected the neighborhoods that they controlled.
Value: This video shows how gangs ruined Chicago. The video describes Chicago as if it was like a war zone filled with a bunch of rival gangs. Local gangs had people in fear of stepping out of their own doors.
One article “Feds: 9 charged in gang conspiracy, including 5 murders” by Jason Meisner comes from Chicago Tribune a daily newspaper in Chicago, Illinois. The other article “Feds Indict 9 Alleged Chicago Street Gang Members” comes from NBC Chicago a local news station. Both articles are about nine members of a Chicago street gang called “The Hobos” being indicted on federal racketeering chargers. “Law enforcement has identified the Hobos as a tight-knit, violent crew that originated in the former Robert Taylor Homes and banded together from factions of the much larger Gangster Disciples and Black Disciples street gangs,” prosecutors said in a news release (Meisner, 2013, para. 5). The Chicago tribune gives more specific details and more background information about the incident than NBC Chicago. Both articles give off slightly different information to. In the NBC Chicago news article it says “Four of the defendants are accused of shooting four people to death between 2006 and 2009” but in the Chicago tribune it says “Four of the defendants are charged with personally shooting to death five victims between 2006 and 2009.” Both articles have the same point of view and come from the same sources a press conference with U.S. Attorney Gary Shapiro and Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy in announcing the charges against members of the Hobo street gang. “Grand jurors indicted them on charges including murder, attempted murder, robbery and narcotics distribution” (Feds Indict 9 Alleged Chicago Street Gang Member, 2013, para. 2). All of those charged are currently in either federal or state custody. These articles are traditional news because it gives readers immediacy fast access to late breaking news and Proximity because both sources are located in Chicago.
Work Cited
Meisner, J. (2013, September 26). Feds: 9 charged in gang conspiracy, including 5 murders. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-09-26/news/chi-feds-9-charged-in-gang-conspiracy-including-5-murders-20130926_1_federal-informant-four-attempted-murders-law-enforcement
Feds indict 9 alleged Chicago street gang members. (2013, September 26). NBC Chicago. Retrieved from http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Feds-Indict-9-Alleged-Chicago-Street-Gang-Members-225386842.html#comments
Gangster Disciples V.s Chicago Police Department
My conflict is between a gang called the Gangster disciples and the Chicago Police department. The Gangster Disciples is mainly African American males, who claims territory and uses it to make money through illegal activities (drug trafficking). The Chicago Police department wanted this territory claiming to end it caused violence within the community with other rival gangs such as the Black P Stones, Vice Lords, and People nation. The Gangster Disciples was formed in the south side of Chicago in the late 1960s by leader Larry Hoover. Primarily the gang was located in Cabrini projects; the way he recruited new member was by promising fast and easy money to young African American boys within these projects. On November 5, 1973 Larry Hoover was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a drug addict. Behind bars Hoover was still calling the shots (literally). It was so frustrating for law enforcement to see how the gangster disciples were still functioning. But, it wasn’t until October 13, 1992 Dantrell Davis was walking to school with his mother when he was shot in the face by Anthony Garrett a member of the gangster disciples. A jury convicted Garrett to life in prison. The tragic shooting motivated politicians, residents and Chicago Housing Authority officials to work to end the extreme level of violence in the Cabrini projects. Residents had tolerated the violence for years; gangs used gunfire to settle turf disputes and other problems. Massive raid of police officers took over the streets of Chicago to put an end to this madness. In August of 1995, 39 leading members of the Gangster Disciples were indicted on drug conspiracy. Larry Hoover now in jail with his leading members he was unable to send out orders. Without strong leaders the gang broke off into mini cliques. The government tore down the Cabrini projects and moved residents into different parts of Chicago once that happened these mini cliques began to spread all over the city.
History Channel (2012, January11). Gangland-Gangster City. Retrieved September14, 2013, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjKp4VWy1RY
Gangster Disciples. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://chicagogangs.org/index.php?pr=gdn
Kirby J.A (1992). The death of dantrell davis.Chicago Tribane. Chicago, IL Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-chicagodays-dantrelldavis-story,0,6132262.story
Information Literacy: Conflicts 