I've decided to put up some examples of past writings that I like and that I think you'll like too...
Here's one called
"The Gang Game"
Our great nation is facing perilous times ahead. We are in an economic recession, our jobs are on the chopping block, money is tight, and people are getting desperate. Tragically, the most desperate are children growing up in poverty-stricken areas. As history has revealed in years past, penury and desperation go hand in hand. Without money, strong parental guidance, or a good education environment, it can be nearly impossible to have a well-rounded and well-adjusted child. Though the future of these children does look bleak, one alternative may bring hope. Gangs! To some this means violence and crime, but for kids with broken homes, a gang of good friends could be just the ticket.
Because gangs are often associated with violence and murders, the nation chooses to ignore the benefits of joining a gang. For example, there is a direct correlation between gang membership and artistic exploration. Are there any hip-hop moguls who haven’t been in gangs? Stars like Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and Tupac Shakur all found inspiration from their careers as gang-members. A common theme in hip-hop and rap songs is how the artist overcame his or her humble beginnings. In Jay-Z’s smash hit from 2001, “Izzo,” the artist paints a picture of his childhood by singing, “I was raised in the pro-jects, roaches and rats, me under a lamp post, why I got my hand closed? Cracks in my palm… But now I beat those charges like Rocky!” Heartache and hardship are essential to eloquent expression in this aesthetic (and profitable) art form. The main source of income in impoverished areas is drug trafficking and though it isn’t always genial, it is lucrative. Because it is only a minor offense when children under 18 are caught selling drugs, it is an ideal after school job that is only slightly dangerous. When kids sell drugs, they are investing in their futures and with their drug profits, they are open to limitless possibilities.
Many other artists come from the same broken beginning, but being in a gang allowed them to follow their dreams. With the help and camaraderie of fellow gang-members, youth are able to network, make connections with other friends with similar backgrounds, much like a fraternity. In a world where who you know is more important than who you are, gang membership is a lasting bond that links current and former gang members together in business endeavors. For example, if Biggie Smalls was going to run for mayor, he would be able to call on former first-rate lookout and fellow gang member P. Diddy with his campaign rather than untrustworthy outside source. Friendships made in gangs last for a lifetime.
Gang life is essential for healthy exercise. Often, because schools in poorer areas are facing budget cuts, the physical education programs are the first to suffer. This is a huge contributor to our nation’s child obesity problem. But when a child joins a gang, they learn tons of great techniques for staying active and keeping in shape. For example, learning how to shoot helps kids increase hand-eye coordination, playing with opposing gangs increases competition and is like being on a sports team, and running from cops or dangerous situations helps to raise heart rate and burn calories. Have you ever known a gang member to be obese? In fact, being out of shape hinders one’s ability to run from cops, and increases one’s chance of being shot. Fitness and strength are crucial to a member’s gang status. Studies have shown that kids who participate in extra-curricular activities have a higher motivation rate. Being in a gang makes physical exertion into a routine and helps young kids to cultivate skills while having fun and developing fitness (also helpful if they go to prison!).
Many children in impoverished areas are lacking strong parental influence. Often they are being raised by a single parent and more often than not by a single mother, or crack ho in the parlance of the ghetto. Without a father figure, some kids can grow up unbalanced and even face relationship problems later in life. In a gang, there are plenty of great male role models. Instead of a game of catch, a gang father figure could teach his young counterpart how to play “how many bullets are left in his gun?” or “see how many televisions you can fit into a bed of a truck!” With the devoted attention of adult gang members, youths can have a much-needed father figure to emulate.
Gangs are beneficial to its members, especially children. It gives them the time and attention necessary to cultivate specialty skills and self-defense, the people skills and connections necessary to pave a way in the business world, and most of all, a sense of family when they may come from broken homes. Gangs are certainly much cheaper than the alternative, namely fixing inner city schools, helping single mothers, and finding a more effective solution to the drug war than our current ineffective cycle incarceration. Help improve the life of an inner city child; support your local gang!
