An essay by, George T. Kramer

Currently, some 32,000 Americans die from gunshot wounds each year, nationwide. Of these, close to two-thirds come from successful suicide attempts. Of the remainder, approximately 1100 are due from gun accidents or "unintentional discharge". This leaves somewhere near 11,000 deaths do to homicide, including justifiable homicide and manslaughter.

Clearly, eleven thousand gun-related homicides constitutes a major problem within the United States, however it is not a major problem that affects all or even most Americans. In fact, only a very small number of Americans are affected by gun violence. Because guns have always been widely available and owned in America (especially after the Civil War) and because gun violence has only erupted in the proportions that exist now in the last thirty years, it is easy to conclude that gun ownership, itself is neither a problem nor the source of the problem of gun violence. If guns were indeed the source of gun violence, then by logic, gun violence would have been widespread throughout all of American history. But this has not been the case. The true source of gun violence lies elsewhere.

We do know that the tremendous rise in gun violence in America started when illicit drug use became common. We also know that this occurred with the advent of inner-city streetgangs. Along with the great in increase in gun violence, there was also a commensurate increase in illicit sexual activity, teen-age pregnancy, abortion-on-demand, falling student grades, children born out of wedlock, and crime of all types (especially violent crime). We also note that all of this began as the nation turned strongly to the political Left, as through President Lyden B. Johnson's "Great Society". The rise in gun violence grew proportionally with the growth of the welfare state. All coincidental? Perhaps, but I think not.

What has been established is that there are more than 500,000 individuals, primarily young black males and other minorities, that belong to inner-city streetgangs. Young whites are also beginning to form similar gangs, but to a much lesser degree. It is also established that most gun violence is committed within easily defined geographic areas (e.g., neighborhoods or 'hood) dominated by streetgangs and most often by streetgang members, themselves. This is not to say that all shootings within these neighborhoods are related directly to streetgangs, but rather they are often related to the streetgang subculture. There is much more than a lose association between streetgangs and gun violence.

There are two (2) major organized streetgang associations operating within the United States, both of approximate equal size. One in the Folk's Nation, while the other is the People's Nation. They are rivals. It is from these two gangs that most of the other streetgangs are subordinate. The Bloods, Crips, Black Gangster Disciples, Rolling 22's, Vice Lords and many, many others are all part of these two major gang organizations. It is important to note the word "Nation" as part of the name of these gangster organizations because both the gang leadership and the membership find it convenient to think of themselves as a nation, completely separate from the United States, albeit sharing the same geography and borders. It is common within the streetgang subculture for members to think of themselves as "gangsters". And so they are. They are gangsters every bit as much as those we typically think of as gangsters during the Prohibition.

Modern inner-city streetgangs are very much part of organized crime as is the Mafia and are illicit drug cartels. However, there are some significant differences as to how these streetgangs operate and how the government treats them when compared to more historically established organized criminal operations. A comparative discussion follows:

During the great movements of immigration to the United States, recent immigrants would seek out family ties and those of their own nationality so as to establish themselves amongst them. It was a matter of "taking care of one's own" which provided a sense of common identity and security. These people brought much of their national culture with them and included with it was many of their national hatreds and animosity toward those of other nationalities. It came to be that certain impoverished often-dysfunctional groups of immigrants did more than band together. As the socially disenfranchised, they formed gangs so as to ward against the national hatred and animosity directed toward them by those already established. In return for such open and horrid nationalized animosity, gangs withdrew themselves from the established society and became a separate society within themselves, complete with an independent social order, leadership, rules, laws, customs, and economy.

1. Modern inner-city streetgangs formed very much for the same reasons and in the same fashion. However, rather than forming along lines of national heritage, modern gangs form along racial identity, as well. Most gangs from the turn of the century quickly disappeared within a generation, or two, as social animosities subsided and as members assimilated into the established society as they began to prosper. Even though social animosities (e.g., racism) have now greatly subsided, most members of modern streetgangs will not assimilate into the established society. Instead, they often celebrate their gang identities as an expression of diversity and multiculturalism. Bitter hatred and anger toward the established society remains as gang members continue to view themselves as the socially disenfranchised, when for the most part, they are not;
2. Gangs of the past were established by adults, organized by adults, and operated by adults. They were very much family and kin oriented, retaining much of their moral and/or religious values. Considering themselves as an independent and separate society, they felt free to break the law of the established society, yet enforced their own rules and laws amongst themselves. This was particularly true with respect to the Italian gangs, which after a bloody start remain active today as the Mafia. Even though the Mafia still exists and remains powerful to this very day, members of the Mafia have assimilated much of their lives into modern American society and keep their organized criminal activities to themselves. Modern streetgangs are also established and organized by adults, but a great many of the operations are assigned to juveniles. They, too, consider themselves as an independent and separate society and feel free to break the law of the established society. But unlike the gangs of the past, modern streetgangs are not family oriented. Instead, members are invariably drawn from completely dysfunction families and suffer from terrible spiritual woundedness because of it. They do not keep their organized criminal activities to themselves, but instead brazenly operate openly;
3. Gangs of the past engaged in open gang warfare but for a short time. The "gangster era" lasted less than twenty years, then after that, gang warfare was carried out mostly in a clandestine fashion. Operations became rather sophisticated and diplomacy was established between rival gangs. Rules became very strictly enforced. Assassinations (e.g. "hits") eventually became very rare events. Modern streetgangs engage in gang warfare openly and with abandon. Local streetgangs make up their own rules without much supervision from the state and national gang leadership. This is allowed to occur, in part, because modern streetgangs have no family connections and the gang leadership fears very little from possible retribution from gang family members. Bloody gang warfare and retribution is relegated to juvenile rank and file gang members;
4. The gangs of organized crime of the past drew considerable media attention and a very loud cry for action by law enforcement. It was for this very reason that agents of the federal Treasury Department were re-organized into a new federal agency - the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The original task of the FBI was to investigate, prosecute, and break up organized criminal gangs. The great efforts of the FBI is also one of the principle reasons (along with very strong family ties) that gangs of the past stopped practicing openly and rules became so strictly enforced. Organized crime bosses made it a priority to keep themselves and their activities away from public view. Although modern streetgangs also draw considerable media attention, the cry for action by law enforcement has been thoroughly muted. Gangsters of old were considered criminals and predators that needed to be prosecuted and locked-up. Modern gangsters are often not considered as criminals at all, but rather victims of society. Because of the racial elements involved, federal law enforcement is loathe to make much in the way of taking action less their law enforcement activities be labeled as racially motivated. Thus, law enforcement is left up to state and local law enforcement agencies, which are not only also deterred from taking determined action out of the same fear of being labeled as racists, but also are greatly under-equipped and under-funded to take on such an enormous task. Worse than this, the national leadership of modern streetgangs curry favor amongst many of the socialist Left within government, even to the point of asking for and receiving government support (e.g., money) for gang operations in the guise of social welfare programs.

It is no wonder that inner-city streetgangs flourish within the United States. No serious effort is being made at any level to eradicate them. Instead, streetgangs hide under the veil of multicultural diversity. The federal government subsidies a good portion of streetgang activities through ill-conceived social spending programs. The welfare state enables people to not only survive, but flourish in a culture of unemployment and government subsidies. This enables single women in the inner-city to give birth to and "raise" children (without any benefit of a upright father figure), whereas many of these children will eventually join the ever-growing population of streetgang members.

These children are very much like orphans, especially in those cases where the mother makes no serious effort with respect to family responsibilities. The government (at all levels) is essentially running a dysfunctional orphanage, dispassionately and from afar. To make a comparison, the government is Mr. Bumble in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. The orphans run amok. To take this comparison even further, modern streetgang leaders very much play the role of Fagan, the lord of the Den of Thieves. This is not a weak comparison. Like Fagan, the leadership of inner-city streetgangs conscripts young juveniles (e.g. "orphans") to commit crime on behalf of the "den of thieves". The young gang members take all the risk, while the gang leadership takes all the profit from such criminal endeavors. In other words, juvenile streetgang members are utterly exploited by the adult gang leadership. The comparison of modern streetgangs to Fagan's orphans in "Oliver Twist" ends when one considers the magnitude of crime committed by streetgangs. Fagan employed his conscripted orphans and exploited them as mere pickpockets. The adult leadership of modern streetgangs employ their "orphans" as anything from illicit drug dealers on the street to armed robbers to murderous assassins.

The magnitude and depth of organization within these streetgangs cannot be underestimated. Individual streetgangs exist in a ruthless feudal fashion where the adult members of the gang leadership are the lords, while the conscripted juvenile members are but peasants. The People's Nation and the Folk's Nation are very much like established kingdoms, complete with their own form of government and politics. The gangs underneath the national leadership are very much like duchies, counties, baronies, and individual feudal estates. Political power is gathered and retained by the streetgang leadership in the same fashion every bit as much as it was by feudal lords of the Medieval Era. To understand the politics of feudalism is to understand the politics of modern streetgangs. With more than 500,000 members, the scope of the streetgang subculture is no small thing. No wonder law enforcement is unable make any headway fighting this form of organized crime. Juvenile gang members are completely expendable. Arrests can be made, gang members sent to prison (or a juvenile detention facility), yet there is a seemingly endless supply of new conscripts ready to serve. Meanwhile, high-level gang leaders, acting like Fagan, live out their lives, gathering wealth, and unmolested by law enforcement of any kind. Some have even managed to find their way into elected office in major cities!

To understand the nature and scope of streetgangs is to understand the true source of gun violence within America. The neighborhoods, which are occupied by individual streetgangs, are essentially feudal estates and are protected as such by gang members. As in feudalism of the Medieval Era, gang leaders (acting as feudal lords) ceaselessly endeavor to enlarge their own estates through the conquest of rival estates. Instead of knights on horseback wielding lance and sword, young gangsters in automobiles wielding pistols on a drive-by shooting accomplish gang warfare. Assassination and executions are common. But unlike Medieval feudalism, gang leaders seldom enter the field of battle as their counterparts did centuries ago. They are quite content to let their minions do the fighting, while they sit back, keep score, and count their wealth.

Living like dukes, counts, viceroys and barons, high-level gang leaders are the ones with the wealth and live far from the battlefields. Their underlings fight gang warfare almost exclusively. The underlings have no wealth. It is for this reason that streetgang gun violence takes place almost strictly within poorer inner-city neighborhoods. It also for this reason that the guns most often used in gang warfare are invariably inexpensive handguns. Gang fighters do not have the money to purchase expensive ordinance - that is why they live in poorer inner-city neighborhoods in the first place. Guns are also status symbols amongst young gang members. Simply to own one is status enough. Owning an expensive one is a waste of money because for the most part, other gang members generally have far too little knowledge to differentiate between a quality firearm and a cheap pistol. The notion that assault rifles are the "weapons of choice" amongst drug dealers and criminals is patently absurd. High-level gang leaders might own one, but these are trophy pieces to show off rather than ever leave the home.

Young gang members, like most rank and file members of political organizations, aspire to rise in power and rank with the gang. To do so, they must first make themselves noticed by the gang leadership and then must be seen as worthy of promotion. This is invariably accomplished by demonstrating loyalty, assertiveness, courage and bravado in the streetgang subculture. Loyalty is demonstrated as complete fealty to the gang leadership. Orders, such as engaging in criminal activities, are obeyed without reservation or hesitation. Assertiveness is demonstrated by taking initiatives and by dominating fellow gang members so as to gain their respect. Courage and bravado are often demonstrated through acts of violence. (Essentially, this is very much how most political structures are created, with or without the violence.) In the streetgang subculture, respect is often gained by one’s willingness to use violence and kill. For this reason, unpaid drug debts are enforced with shootings, stabbings, cuttings, and beatings. It is not uncommon for a novice (e.g., probationary) gang member to be initiated by assigning him a task of committing violence so as to demonstrate fealty and courage. In this environment, rivalries between local competing gangs often involve considerable bloodshed.

Essentially, most gun violence being committed in America today is between rival gangs operating as feudal estates. On a national scale, most gangs exist well outside the domain of any form of U.S. government and U.S. law, except when government welfare subsidies can be easily acquired. These gangs exist as feudal estates of various size and power and generally belong to the two separate nations established as the People's Nation and the Folk's Nation. Gun violence is observed as these nations prosecute war against each at various levels. It just happens that these two nations share the geographical boundaries of the United States. This is the true source of gun violence in America.

It is terribly ironic that rather than intervene to end this war which kills many thousands of young men each year, the government of the United States (at all levels) subsidizes the very social and economic environment that allows these gangs to flourish. Tax payers ought to know that their tax dollars have been used, and are being used now, to help fund a war that kills well more than a dozen young Americans almost everyday. It is not the guns. It is the government.

Since the true source of most gun violence in America is that of bloodfeuds between competing inner-city streetgangs, where juvenile gang members are exploited by the each gang’s leadership, and the demonstration of violence as part the streetgang subculture (itself), it makes sense that breaking up inner-city streetgangs and destroying the streetgang subculture is the correct solution to ending gun violence. Because the seat of power of these inner-city streetgangs lies within each gang’s resepective high-level leadership, the best approach to breaking up inner-city street gangs lies with taking down the leadership. Because the highest level of gang leadership lies on the very top of the People’s Nation and the Folk’s Nation, both national organizations with hundreds of thousands of members, the focus of prosecution must lie here. Any notion of racism must be completely dismissed as the duplicitous rhetoric it is.

This effort must be prosecuted at the federal level, employing any and all assets that might be required. The truth must be seen for what it truly is and the operation of these gangs must be exposed to the public: poor, young men from the inner-city are being conscripted and exploited – even to the point of being killed in very large numbers – by self-serving adults making up gang senior leadership. If we are to have any compassion upon these unfortunate young men that are so easily exploited by adult gang leaders, the "hands-off" policy of the federal government must end. This policy of "hands-off" must be replaced by a policy of "gloves-off". If the federal government, though the FBI, can make great efforts taking on traditional organized crime, it must make an equal or even greater effort taking on this insideous new form of organized crime.

It is time for the federal government to stop persecuting law-abiding gun owners, who are most definitely not the source of gun violence, and start prosecuting the top leadership of the nation’s inner-city streetgangs, who are the true source of gun violence in America. There can neither be any excuses nor any disingenous rhetoric. Such duplicity is no longer tolerated.

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