Shock Value: Entry 35 "There is an Epidemic Going on Outside: Part 5""

Topic: Homicide and Gang Activity

Perhaps you haven't been watching the news this year, or your radio and your computer haven't been taking out the plastic. Just in case all of the afore are true, let me bring you up to speed on a few things. Homicide and Gang Activities are taking the lives of our children.

I was sitting on the couch the other evening frequenting a social networking site when I saw everyone talking about this show "the First 48." I vaguely remember being forced to watch a few minutes of one show, because I was at someone else's house and they treat that show like it is a new release at the movie theatre. I say this to say, this show focuses mainly on homicides in various urban areas. I wondered do the viewers know that every time this show airs someone else has been a victim of a hanus, pointless, and usually stupid crime.

Men in American, more exclusively, young black men are dying at an alarming rate. The city of Chicago alone last year had more homicides than soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq & Afghanistan fighting for whatever reason it is now. Oh, the war on Error, or Terror, one or the other. That is a dang shame! Most of the victims were young, black, and talented. Gang violence plays a major role in these deaths too. We all need to take a moment to speak with our sons, nephews, brothers, male cousins, etc. and let them know that we love them and we don't want to lose them over something as irresponsible as the color of the handkerchief they carry in their back pocket or block they live on.

If you doubt the above mentioned isn't that bad; check the facts:

Gun/ Gang Violence & Homicide Rates:

• In cases of Gun violence, the USA ranks 7th in the world

• Homicide rates among 18- to 24-year-olds have declined since 1993, but remain higher than they were prior to the 1980s.^[17] In 2005, the 17 through 24 age group remains significantly overrepresented in violent crime statistics, particularly homicides involving firearms.^[30] In 2005, 17- through 19-year olds were 4.3% of the overall populationof the United States.^[31] This same age group accounted for 11.2% of those killed by firearm homicides.^[32] This age group also accounted for 10.6% of all homicide offenses.^[33] The 20- through 24-year-old age group accounted for 7.1% of the population,^[31] while accounting for 22.5% of those killed by firearm homicides.^[32] The 20 through 24 age group also accounted for 17.7% of all homicide offenses.^[33] Those under age 17 are not overrepresented in homicide statistics. In 2005, 13- through 16-year-olds accounted for 6% of the overall population of the United States, but only accounted for 3.6% of firearm homicide victims,^[32] and 2.7% of overall homicide offenses.^[33]
• People with a criminal record are also more likely to die as homicide victims.^[11] Between 1990 and 1994, 75% of all homicide victims age 21 and younger in the city of Boston had a prior criminal record.^[34] In Philadelphia, the percentage of those killed in gun homicides that had prior criminal records increased from 73% in 1985 to 93% in 1996.^[11][35] In Richmond, Virginia, the risk of gunshot injury is 22 times higher for those males involved with crime.^[36]
• In 2005, 75% of the 10,100 homicides committed using firearms in the United States were committed using handguns, compared to 4% with rifles, 5% with shotguns, and the rest with a type of firearm not specified.^[37] Due to the lethal potential that a gun brings to a situation, the likelihood that a death will result is significantly increased when either the victim or the attacker has a firearm.^[38] The mortality rate for gunshot wounds to the heart is 84%, compared to 30% for people who sustain stab wounds to the heart.^[39]

Further information: Gun violence in the United States by state

• Criminal Gangs have swelled to over 1 million members and account for 80% of the crime in US neighborhoods
• There are approximately 24,500 gangs in the U.S . There were an estimated 750,000 gang members in 2000. The 2009 estimate is One Million gang members (see articles1 & 2) with 147,000 of them currently incarcerated.

• Of the 1 million gang members, about 40% are juveniles (under 18) and 60% are adults, or about 400,000 teenage gang members and 600,000 adult gang members.
  

• jBetween 90% to 94% of gang members are male. Between 6% to 10% are female.
  

• There are approximately 360,000 teenage boys and 32,000 teenage girls in gangs
  

• There are approximately 560,000 adult males and 48,000 adult females in gangs.
  

• Every city in the U.S. with at least 250,000 people has gang activity. 86% of those with at least 100,000 people report gang activity
• 94% of all gang members are male due to low income, poor school performance, no positive after school activities, etc.
• There are between 60,000 and 80,000 female gang members in the U.S.

Approximately 32,000 female gang members are teenagers, and 48,000 are adults.

60% of gangs do not allow female members. (Girls hang around, go to parties, but are not "members."

40% allow female members, but only 1 out of 10 gang members is a girl