I think everyone had a lot on their mind when we left class the other night, so Andrea and I forgot to ask who would do the next post! I'm going to take this opportunity to tell you a quick story told to me by one of the girls in SISTERS.
We had been discussing violence in the East Harlem community and all of the girls were casually teaching me about the "local" gangs. I have really only heard of larger gangs such as The Bloods and The Crips, but these girls told me about gangs like E.A., I.A., Y.O.G., Money Boys and 6-Net. Eastern Army is the gang from the projects on 100th and 1st Ave, Money Boys are a bit downtown and 6-Net is the gang from literally right across the street in Carver.
My girls believe that these gangs are a way of life. Violent eruptions between these gangs is expected on a weekly, if not daily basis. When I asked them what the fights were about, their answer was always "old beef" between them. Nothing specific needs to spark the fights, just the fact that something happened in the past is enough to warrant an ongoing war.
One 14 year old girl in my group then casually told me about a shoot out that happened on 103rd and Third Avenue two Fridays ago. This girl witnessed her 19 year old friend get gunned down in front of a liquor store by her OTHER friend. She literally watched her friend foam at the mouth and die on the street.
She had a nervous laughter as she told the story and the rest of the girls joined in the giggling and laughing. She says that they knew something was going to happen because one of the gang members, who she knew, came down the street and told them to clear out. Apparently, it is normal for someone to warn people on the street that there was about to be a fight. My girls all agreed that this was fair warning and that if you got shot as an innocent bystander it was your fault for not leaving.
There is a small memorial set up in front of the victims apartment. My girl tells me that it is expected that the victim's gang will retaliate. The victim's mom has been pleading with her son's gang to stop the fighting. When I asked what she thought about this,my girl told me that of course the fighting would go on. In her words, "they will never squash the beef"....
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It is sad that gang violence seems to cycle through generation after genderation. This post reminded me of a story I read this week about a 13-year old who brutally killed his older brother so that he could take over the family drug operation. http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/mar/02/drug-brothers-slaying-030209/
ReplyDeleteThis seems so senseless. What does all the fighting accomplish?
ReplyDeleteThe fact that these girls know that its commonplace to get a warning when there is going to be a fight is such a shame but sadly when you grow up in the hood, you get street smarts that you're not supposed to have.
ReplyDeleteI also find it shocking that I didnt hear about this before. Probably, if someone from Sinai was shot there would be outrage. Seems like since, it's not one of "us" it doesnt even matter
I guess its just a survival mechanism (the laughing and giggling, accepting that you'll be warned about an upcoming beef) -- if violence is constant and all around you, you need to learn how to distance yourself. Totally not in the same league -- but there was a stabbing at a bus stop I used to take every morning to go to work (the victim died) and a shooting soon after on the corner where i used to live (victim also died). If this had happened back when I was on Maui, everyone would be freaked out, scared, talking about if for weeks (probably would have also been someone's mother's cousin's brother's girlfriend's uncle involved). Now, its like, just get up and walk down the same street and go to the same bus stop the next day like nothing happened.
ReplyDeleteI feel like today's youth in these high risk areas have been desensitized to violence. I think Wendy is right though...sometimes we have to desensitize, we have to look at the situation this way in order to live life.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate....when one dies and only becomes a part of a statistic.