Gang Shooting in Westwood
The piece by Los Angeles City Attorney James K. Hahn (“Rethinking Gang’s Rights vs. Our Rights,” Op-Ed Page, Feb. 5), along with other statements by local politicians and community leaders calling for a crackdown on gang violence, indicate once again that we are unwilling to look beyond short-term solutions for our city’s problems.
Most would agree that the criminal activity of gang members should be dealt with harshly. But as any undergraduate sociology major knows, the very existence of gangs is a result of the environment of poverty, powerlessness and hopelessness into which ghetto and barrio youths grow up.
This does not excuse gang violence, but it does help to explain it. It also explains why, despite considerable efforts by the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies, gang violence continues to spread.
It takes little political courage to call for increased police protection. But it would take courage to acknowledge that, generation after generation, the isolated, poverty-stricken areas of South-Central and East Los Angeles will continue to spawn gang violence until we begin to care about how our citizens are forced to live their lives.
MICHAEL BALTER
Universal City
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