Gang Violence: America’s Silent War
Before moving to Portland, I lived and worked in Los Angeles for several years. During that time, I attended a breakfast where the Los Angeles Assistant Police Chief, Earl Paysinger was making his plea to some 200 Hispanic pastors to intervene in the swelling gang problem in Los Angeles.
According to Paysinger, a survey by the Los Angeles Police Department revealed some 90,000 registered gang members in Los Angeles County. In the five years from 2000-2004, there were nearly 6000 homicides in Los Angeles County alone.
In comparison – as of December 2009 – that is nearly 2000 more American deaths than the Iraq War total. Unlike the tragic deaths of our valiant soldiers, these deaths were all senseless. Many of these deaths are gang-related. Paysinger asks the obvious question:
“So who are these young men who call themselves ‘gangs,’ who rape, pillage and devour our communities? They are young men existing on the fringes of society from broken homes. Their fathers are gone. Many are institutionalized in prison, stuck in the muck and mire, unable to provide training, guidance, and nurturing assistance that gives their sons a chance at a healthy life.”
The rampant spread of gangs in our country is the direct result of fatherlessness. Demographically speaking, the most reliable predictor for gang activity and youth violence is neither social class, nor race, nor education, but fatherlessness. No longer do we have to travel abroad to find war; America is making war on itself.
(Excerpt taken from: Fatherless Generation: Redeeming the Story. This is the first of a three-part series on fatherlessness and gangs.)
2 Responses to “Gang Violence: America’s Silent War”
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Don, thanks for spreading awareness. This demographic reaches all areas of the country, even the very rural areas of our nation. I don’t have the stats but just from what I’ve observed while getting to know the kids at our local schools, fatherlessness has caused a lot of heart ache for sons and daughters. Without the type intervention you propose, real caring mentoring, the cycle will continue. I shared copies of your book with my pastor and a couple of the leaders in the local church (there’s only a few here). You have their attention. Thanks & keep up the amazing work.
Many lives and communities have been destroyed because of family breakdown/fatherlessness. Thanks for the post!