Week 7: Culture, Wealth, and Crime November 14, 2010

Crips and Bloods: Culture, Wealth , and Crime

Throughout recent American history gangs have become an impactful part of people’s lives. The past 20 years there have been 15,000 deaths alone that have been from gangs. These gang members believe that they do not choose their destiny, but their destiny chooses them. This may be a result from the fact that today’s culture prevents these members from getting out. This culture of what should be demolished from years ago prevents African Americans from getting proper education, which decreases the likelihood of getting a well-paying job that helps them support their families. This cycle leads to the increase amount of gangs and the attractions of wanting to be in the gangs. As proclaimed in the videos these members are fulfilling a club, association, connection that was not allowed to them from years ago.

African Americans grew up with the same dreams as every other American, wanting a piece of The American Dream, but this was increasingly taken from the as each day passed. There was a strict segregation between these Americans and White Americans based solely on their skin color. Although there had been some improvements from getting rid of slavery and allowing American Americans to vote, there is still the animosity between the two groups and a complete difference of lifestyles. Unfortunately these lifestyles of culture and wealth lead to the crime rates.

Coming from the video you could see that in California the high end and most expensive areas were typically surrounded by where the Crips and Bloods were originated. In these areas you can easily see the difference in the culture that is created from discrepancies between education, job opportunities, income, and social status that lead to where most African Americans are at now. When this cycle of culture and lifestyle continues and never seems to change you cannot expect there to be change at all. I believe that what leads to the increased crime not only for African Americans but anyone with this difference in culture and wealth is the ability not to get out of the cycle.

When there is a culture with decreased satisfaction and funding to school and support for education it leads to more dropout rates and less opportunities to succeed in job opportunities. When there are not any job opportunities or ability when they have not completed school. This leads to decrease in wealth and typically resulting to crime to get money.

Crime results from needing an affiliation to something, finding a group to associate with, or needing money or supplies. Any of these reasons will lead to crime due to what they want and having the benefits to them outweighing the potential costs. Those looking for affiliation want a group that will be there through thick and thin. Gangs typically are a version of a newfound brotherhood; collectively believing, wanting, and disliking the same things. This group of brothers, gang members, and what become family members to some require some short of initiation. The initiation could be anything from simple theft or murder. Throughout being in these groups they adapt for protecting each other and what they stand for. When something starts to infer on their beliefs or members they will go for blood to protect them. For them the cost of getting caught by police and put in jail does not out way the benefit to have that family and affiliation. To prevent crime it would take the policy and dramatic increase of punishments to make any sort of impact. The cost must outweigh the benefits for the members to make any impact of decreasing crime.

For the need of money and supplies getting them to survive is what is the most important. Wanting to have money for food, shelter, clothes, and possessions is something that doesn’t just appear out of no wear. There are many methods to getting what you need in this manner that are a result of crime. Theft is often a primary one, it could be from stores, homes, anything. But there is also the problem of mugging innocent people around town. This increases danger in certain areas but also can be a cycle of crime in itself. When mugging occurs to certain people in a certain area it could cause retaliation. Selling drugs or illegal substance is another method to make money to buy products or services.

There is also the problem of prostitution among many girls trying to make money for food or shelter. From the movie clip Very Young Girls you can see the impact of what prostitution on these girls. The average age of these girls are 13 and have the feeling that they have no other choice than to do this. These girls do not understand what is really going on and have not been taught about what the motives of these people and “pimps” true motive is. But believe that they are truly “loved” and will do whatever they are asked of by these men to have that affiliation and to make money. In my opinion I believe that to decrease prostitution has to be come from education of these girls that they cannot rely on someone to give them affection when they just want money from them.

Overall, to decrease crime the separation of these two cultures must be more encompassing. This separation of education, wealth, jobs, social status is what leads to crime. The need to have affiliation and money is caused from the cyclical problem of not having the education one needs to make good choices about what is right and wrong and realize what certain actions have certain consequences. Having the knowledge to know that you can get out the area that you are in and change the cycle that continues. Continuing to understand the importance of completing school to get a job to not having to result to crime to get money and association. I also believe that increasing the consequences for committing theses crimes will start an impact but knowledge and consequences are in my belief the best sources of finding some end to these crimes.

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