A Reminder of Reality

In June 17, 2011, I wrote my first blog post on here of substance.  It detailed how gangs are still very much alive but most of the general public and media is either unaware or in denial.  Fast forward to this past Sunday, May 17, 2015.  In Waco, Texas, at a Twin Peaks restaurant, there was a meeting of several hundred members of various motorcycle clubs.  They have been deemed 1%, outlaws, and OMGs.  News outlets from local news channels, national news site, and international online sites from Yahoo to others are leading with titles such as "Biker Wars" and "Biker Gang Shootings".  Listening to the news and watching the stories often has the same message, people saying things such as "When Sons of Anarchy meets real life" or similar.  There seems to be a thought that these bikers are copying what was an extremely popular TV show or that they live in a fantasy world.  People do not know the real presence of all types of gangs, from actual outlaw motorcycle gangs to prison gangs to street gangs.  While entire city councils and police agencies continue to deny a presence of gangs in their areas, those same gangs continue to operate.  Gangs are not dead!  This is not the 1980's. Gangs do not operate in the same traditional roles as they did when the gangster lifestyle and gangster rap took hold of this society.  While these traditional roles have gone by the wayside, so has the general publics knowledge of gangs.  Unfortunately, it took 9 deaths at a Texas restaurant to open some eyes.  More unfortunate are the untold number of young people who are victims of gang violence every day.