street gangs

[derby]

Haven't run into that yet.  But then, I've only watched a couple episodes, from which to make my...uh...sweeping generalization.  Heh.

watched an episode last night about female gang members and she was talking about "rocking up crack" and they explained that meant smoking it.... no it doesn't, it actually means making crack cocaine.

[Ducatiloo]

I'm of the opinion that the Dept. of Wildlife should issue hunting licences for them, same as deer you could get a buck or a doe tag, for a certain section. Set up a blind, call them in, get your shot, then strap 'em to the hood of the station wagon. It'd be an interesting head mount to have in your living room. 

+1 

I sugested that years ago in high school political science and everyone thought that was horrible.    Well where is your freaking "loving and understanding thugs" got us? 

[Rameses]

watched an episode last night about female gang members and she was talking about "rocking up crack" and they explained that meant smoking it.... no it doesn't, it actually means making crack cocaine.

Where'd ya learn that, Cheech?  DRUUG SCHOOOL?!

[NAKID]

Derby-pedia strikes again...

[dropstharockalot]

An excellent, if somewhat sympahetic and biased, discussion of the origins of LA street gangs can be seen in
Bastards of the Party.

The narrator / producer is a former Blood.  You'll recognize him if you've seen "Training Day."

////////
I haven't seen the "Gangland" series that you're speaking of, but it wouldn't suprise me if the gangs are being portrayed in a light that makes them seem closer to terrorists.  Given the overuse and abuse of the concept of terror in national politics and the media these days, everyone is attaching the "terror" label to everything in hopes of increasing interest.  By way of example, a couple months back a veteran of the current Iraq conflict was stabbed in his yard by two Hispanic males.  Without knowing the motivation or provocation for the attack, the local newspaper labeled the attack "an act of domestic terrorism."

This is pretty much crying "wolf."  You get extra attention for your local crime beat, but what happens when it's time to deal with some actual terrorists?  Are we numb to it because of overuse?  Do we care, or are we so used to the color-coded threat level randomly changing that we don't even log out of the DMF?

[B.Rock]

In my eyes, a terrorist is an NGO using fear of violence for political means.
Criminal street gangs aren't really political. I guess you could sort of classify AB as having political leanings but not legitimate ones. 

[darylbowden]

Speaking as someone who lives smack dab in the middle of the area controlled by LAs (and possibly the nation's) strongest (and most-feared) gang, I can tell you that things are much different than it seems to be being portrayed.

Things have changed greatly since the days of the bloods and the crips, today's gangs are about moving drugs, laundering money and the like.  The last thing they want to do is to bring unwanted attention to themselves by shooting some innocent bystander.  Yes, innocent people do die in the face of gang violence and that is awful, but the numbers aren't that high (at least not anymore - and I can only speak for LA, where I actually track such numbers).   

[sqweak]

i like the show

+1 on CA (at least) having stiffer penalties. 

Also, street gangs are increasingly being charged under RICO and Racketeering statues, the same ones that pretty much eradicated the Mob.