I’m not going to get into the history of gangster mentality or street respect, but will offer my personal experience instead. One of the most corroded aspects of modern society is this attitude of street respect. It’s all over the United States, and if it’s not near your house, you are one of the lucky ones. It’s common for a street thug to murder someone just for calling him a name or “disrespecting” him. It is the ultimate act of cowardice and stupidity, and is so widespread, your kids could easily fall prey to or even become one of them.

Look at Hollywood California, home of movie stars and dreams. In between all the night lights and glitter is a violent street life that is festering like a virus. The A&E television network has a show called Gangland, which takes an intense look at street gangs and how they live. While I appreciated the program, it does glorify the gang banging, drug dealing life style. Imagine how proud some of the gangsters were to see themselves on TV. They should only be shown as vermin, not as some kind of underworld heroes. When you’re dealing with criminals who see going to prison for murdering a cop as a rite of passage to be proud of, how can you deal with them?

The Politics

There’s a huge political war in America. I’m not talking about the one between republicans and democrats, I’m talking about the one between constitution loving, liberty loving people versus the entire political system. This is where the conundrum lies. Politically, I am more of a libertarian than anything else, but when it comes to gangs and street violence, it’s difficult to know where I stand.

Should gang members have the same rights as everyone else? Remember, these people actually want to go to jail to up their reputation and street credit, so normal punishment doesn’t work. It’s much more difficult to solve a gangland murder than it is a normal murder.

The Hells Angels motorcycle gang has it’s wretched hooks in Washington, and it goes way up the ladder. They own judges and are involved in illegal arms and drugs on an international scale. On one hand, I want everyone to have equal rights; on the other I think gangs should all be absolutely illegal. If you’re in a gang, you go to prison for 25 years just for being in one. If that were a law, I wouldn’t mind it, even though I am for liberty and freedom. You can’t just be free to do whatever you want, especially if it is violent and destroys society. Then again, I think our own government displays a gangster like persona.

Take Care of Your Own Back Yard

The way I see it, I have to protect myself. There are home invasions all the time where I live. They break in, rape the women and murder the men. You can’t call the police if you’re dead. I have the right to keep and bear arms, and I exercise that right. We can play around the subject, but I’m talking about the cold reality of violence. Maybe you live a comfortable life and have never seen violence up close – rest assured, it does exist and not just on TV.

Some people believe that guns should be illegal. That is the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard in my entire life. If that were law, the only people with guns would be the criminals. If someone breaks into my home, they will be blown in half…period. I will not hesitate, not for a microsecond. I will protect my family and friends, and might not have the option or opportunity to call the police in a moment of crisis. I have the right to defend myself.

Let’s get realistic about this and face the absolute truth. To trust that a criminal won’t kill you, you are being foolish. I’m not willing to bet my life on being given a pass by some crazed punk, I will take care of it myself.

I lived downtown in Phoenix Arizona for a year, and it was in a really bad area. I didn’t own a car and had to walk to work 5 miles there and back every day. When I got off work, I walked home at night around 9:00 pm. I wore a suit and looked out of place among all the gangsters and prostitutes which crawled the entire area.

I carried a .44 magnum (just like Dirty Harry) and a big, razor sharp knife. One night as I walked down the sidewalk, I saw around 100 gang members walking towards me (they all looked around 18 years old). The ones in front had heavy chains in their hands – I guess to beat someone to death with. Because of experience, I was able to quickly spot the leaders and which ones would attack first (the ones you shoot first to establish dominance).

I had a cocked gun in my hand, which was in my jacket where they couldn’t see it. Instead of stepping aside, I walked directly through the middle of them with a scowl on my face. The horde of gangsters parted like the red sea. They weren’t stupid, and neither was I. They knew I had something as displayed by my posturing. Nothing happened. I must tell you, if something had, I would’ve killed at least 6 of them and been killed myself.

The lesson is this: if you act scared or timid, you are asking for trouble in the streets. I’m not going to write a bunch of handy gangster tips like, “Stay away from high traffic drug areas at night,” but you do need common sense. In this country, where I don’t trust cops, the government or our entire judicial system to protect me; I have to take care of and defend myself. You should learn to do the same.

Some may say I have lowered my standards and become no better than the gangsters themselves. I disagree 100%. I am not a criminal, I don’t sell or use drugs and I don’t rob people. I mind my own business and don’t intrude on others.

If faced with a murderous thug, I will TCB as the Hell’s Angels motto goes…take care of business.

Don’t take me the wrong way, I am against violence and certainly don’t want anything to ever happen. I love my life and am a kind person; however, I am not naive when it comes to reality. If you buy a gun, take professional lessons and learn gun safety. Keep them away from children and really respect their power. Women should especially learn to use a gun because they are usually not physically able to fight off a male attacker. This is America and you have the right to live safely.

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