Street Gangs or Urban Terrorists

Seems there's a good chance of gang violence occuring in my area on the last day of school (Columbia, SC). The Bloods gang is rumoured to be planning retribution for the killing of one of their members last March. The Richland County Sheriff's department has put an additional 50 deputies on patrol around the counties high schools. Local residents are talking about keeping their children out of school for these last 3 days...

If this isn't terrorism, I don't know what is. These gangs have risen to a level that I believe it is no longer a local law enforcement issue. These gangs cross state lines, and range from coast to coast. The Federal Government should be turning a portion of it's assets from the "War on Terrorism" to the destruction of these gangs. The violence dispensed by these gangs on our neighborhoods, on our neighbors, and communities must be stopped. Parents should not be afraid to send their children to school. Community residents should not be afraid to visit the local mall at night or to walk down the streets of their neighborhoods.

Gang terrorism needs to be stopped now, the Feds need to get actively involved and root out the central core of these gangs, just as they are currently rooting out the roots of Islamic terrorism in the United States. These gang terrorists need to be charged and held in prison under the same laws that are fighting international terrorism.

Citizens need to get involved in their Neighborhood Watch programs and assist local law enforcement in intelligence gathering and reporting of suspicious activities by known or suspected gang members. The public must get involved! You must let your local law enforcement know you are serious about stopping gang activity in your neighborhoods. You must call on your elected representatives and demand action at the state and federal level to erradicate these gang terrorist groups.

Oh, and before you start all that liberal bleeding heart stuff about poor children from broken homes and the growth of gang culture as a substitute family, I don't buy it! Too many underprivledged children grow up and pull themselves out of the inner cities and trailer parks of the poor in America. While my history doesn't place me in true poverty, I can tell you I lived in plenty of trailer parks while I was growing up, well at least until I was 7 or 8 years old.

Pull out your phone book, call your city police, country sheriff, local legislators, and state representatives. Write letters, contact your neighbors and share information, get your neighbors to make calls and write letters, get the "War on Terrorism" focused onto the terrorists in our neighborhoods!