The article “Fighting Gangs” indicates that gangs have existed for centuries across many parts of the world. Comprised of the outcasts, and the impoverished of society, they form groups that enable them to fight their way to success. Their success can be measured by territorial control of certain neighborhoods, by financial success through profitable criminal behaviors such as selling drugs, or, more recently, by exerting power and control through the means of social media. What these gangs have in common, regardless of their ethnic make-up or location, is the banding together of underprivileged individuals in society for the purpose of succeeding outside that society. Through aggressive means, these gangs seek to achieve, often illegally and with much force, the goals they wish to attain. They often do this in circumvention of society’s authorized ways of attainment.

For centuries, as long as there have been gangs, the law enforcement agents of their times have not been successful in fighting gangs.  Law enforcement’s attempts to bring down the gangs merely makes them pop up on different street corners, get involved in different criminal activities, and, if anything, may cause them to escalate their fighting techniques to regain their supremacy. I submit that it would be better, as others suggest in this article, to wage peace rather than war with gang members. There can be no winners in a wrestling match between policemen and gang members. Instead, we would all be better served by a two-pronged approach. One method would be to work with potential newly approachable gang recruits to educate them about all the negativities associated with gang membership and to give them alternative approaches by which to succeed. Another method would be to work with those gang members that are already part of the group, by offering them different ways to get out of their gangs and succeed in society. I believe that the best approach to use with respect to engaging the future and the currently enlisted gang members is through the use of gang “interventionists” who have lived the gang life and therefore are aware of what makes people join gangs and the pitfalls of being a gang member. The employment of these interventionists, former gang members, would be helpful in understanding and working with current gang members, since they have lived through the same perils. Moreover, the gang interventionists that would be employed would themselves be supported in their financial and social comeback to society.  In order to help the interventionists succeed (this article brings up that some do not), they would need to be given the right tools to engage in their fight against gangs. Preparing the interventionists properly would lead to their getting involved in creating meaningful educational, mental health, and employment opportunities for those who are not yet accepted members of society. There appear to be two promising laws soon to be enacted by Congress, “The Youth Promise Act,” and the “Redeem Act,” that could strongly support the work of gang interventionists. The “Youth Promise Act” would emphasize educational, mental health, and outreach programs to prevent young people from joining gangs. The “Redeem Act” would help those who are already gang members and have been incarcerated by sealing the records of minors and giving second chances to those who did not commit violent crimes. The best way to fight gangs is not with police force but rather through peaceful social rehabilitation.