DISCUSSION QUESTIONS + GLOSSARY

Below are a series of discussion questions that correlate with each chapter. They were produced by the authors to serve as a discussion guide and resource for teachers and youth who were or are involved in gang activity.

ORIGIN

1. Do you have to live up to the reputation of the hood.
2. What did you inherit from the hood?
3. Was there gang violence in your school?
4. Some form of drugs has been in your community forever. Can you envision a time without drugs?
5. How have drugs affected your family?
6. Do your friends use drugs?
7. How many stories have you heard about the good old days in the street and prison gangs?
8. Do the streets tempt you to join a gang?
9. Do they ever talk about the O.G.’s and how some died or went to prison?
10. How old were you when you first heard the stories?
11. Are you proud of your gang origin? If you are, explain.

SELF-HATE

1. Did you learn hate from television, a book, peers, parents, gangs, God?
2. Do you feel self-hate? If so, why.
3. Who do you identify with?
4. Do you get angry at yourself or others? If so, why.
5. Do you feel frustrated with your life, or do you feel good about yourself
6. Do you love your brothers and sisters?
7. Were you abused at home? Physical, emotional, sexual?
8. Did you join a gang for protection?
9. Did you join a gang to sell or do drugs because you were frustrated and depressed?
10. Did you drop out of school? Why?
11. What do you want to do when you grow up?

INDOCTRINATION

1. Most street youth are in gangs and exposed to a system of indoctrination. Do these principles benefit the member or community?
2. Loyalty is a fundamental part of the indoctrination. Sometimes you are arrested because you are a gang member, not because you actually committed the crime. Are other gang members loyal to you and speak the truth, or would they let you rot in prison?
3. The old saying, “each one teach one,” keeps the gangs in place. What do you teach your little brother, sister, neighborhood kids, school friends and school drop-outs?
4. Do you ever feel that your parents can’t tell you anything, that the streets are in your blood? Do you ever hate coming home because your parents are telling you to stay away from your friends? Are they wrong? Explain
5. Do you feel that you are a man at 15-years old and that your parents are not needed any longer? Do you feel that your homies will look out for you? Do you want to quit school and hang out on the corner?

SELF-GLORIFICATION

1. Why do you think drug dealing is worth the risk?
2. Do you think selling drugs and possibly getting hurt in the process or hurting someone else in order to buy things is worth prison time?
3. Do you like the power of carrying a gun and power over people?
4. Do you glorify your gang’s chief? How much are you willing to do for him? More than you would do for your parents?
5. Are you proud of destroying your ‘hood?
6. How do you feel about the killings associated with you and your gang?
7. Are you proud of being a part of an organization that shoots a little boy or girl for no reason?
8. Do you raise your head high when you hear about a schoolgirl getting raped by an addict you sold drugs to?
9. Bling that belongs to you can cause a lot of damage because you wanted to glorify your gang. How does that make you feel?

BOGUS RELIGION

1. Write a page on how gangs and religion are connected, and what effect it has on its gang members.

OPPOSITION

1. When you were branded the “opposition,” did you become a target of a street organization?
2. If you refuse to join a gang, what are the consequences? Are you the opposition?
3. Are individuals you go to school with who are not in a gang your opposition?
4. Are your parents — who don’t belong to the gang — your enemy?
5. Are the people in your neighborhood who fight against gangs and drugs your enemy?
6. Is the rest of society your opposition? If so, explain.
7. Society believes that youth who belong to a gang are involved in anti-social behavior. Agree or disagree? Explain.
8. Gang fights and violence are often against the “opposition,” the truth is that it is against your brother/sister — how can you resolve the hatred toward them?
9. How can we use the word opposition to mean something positive?
10. Do you truly hate your brother/sister to the point of murdering them because somebody told you to do so?

WARFARE

1. When you hear that a war has broken out between rival gangs, do you fear sitting on your front porch? Do you fear a drive-by shooting?
2. Do you fear wearing a certain color in certain neighborhoods? Do you fear going to school or to the store?
3. As a gang member, how do you prepare for war?
4. How do you protect yourself from being a victim of gang warfare?
5. Gang warfare includes recruiting someone to be a gunner, someone who might kill innocent people during shootouts with rival gangs. In light of this, how might you avoid being recruited into a gang?
6. Psychological warfare is a neighborhood mentality captured by a few youth who commit violent acts. The media can contribute to the scare tactics that can overwhelm a parent who believes they are living in a war zone. What can a young adult who is not in a gang do to overcome the negative news that comes out of their neighborhood and reclaim it for the positive?
7. Do you feel society is waging a war against you because of your race?

RETALIATION

1. Is it wrong to be vindictive because somebody hurt you?
2. How does it feel when you get revenge? Good, bad, thrilling, emotional?
3. When you see mother on television saying she wants retribution for her son or daughter’s murder, can you understand that? How would you feel
4. What would you do if you committed a crime and a neighbor told on you and you were sent to prison? What would you do when you saw them again?
5. Many children growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood might suffer verbal and physical abuse in their home,. They become angry and hateful toward others. Violence can be a tool to satisfy their anger. While it makes them feel good, other people are hurt in the process. How do you begin to address the real problem?
6. Do you feel like a victim because of the abuse you experienced? Has your neighborhood, parents, or society made you a victim?
7. List 10 words associated with how you feel about your life when you read this?
8. Do you feel that you are right and do not need to change?
9. If you have children, do you want this life style for them?
10. If you are in a gang at the present time, will they let you change?
11. Part of a street organization is to retaliate against rival gangs. Will you participate?
12. Change means to get rid of the anger inside you and seek help. Are you willing to open up about your life and change?

VIOLATION

1. Breaking rules or laws have consequences. When children break house rules they are disciplined. When we break society’s rules, we might face jail. But when gang rules are broken, it could lead to death.
2. Say your baby brother joins the gang, and the two of you get caught because your baby brother told the police. Now the gang wants to violate him. Do you try to stop them?
3. Just because your parents discipline you doesn’t mean they hate you. When the gang violates you, it doesn’t mean they love you. Whose disciple is for your good? Your parents or the gang.
4. What is the difference between your parent’s home rules and the rules of the gang?
5. Did you ever violate a gang member? How did it feel?
6. Do you have any inner principles or values that you would not cross even if the gang asked you to?
7. Do you take part in exploiting your neighborhood because of the gang? Are you violating the people who live there?
8. If you live in an impoverished neighborhood, do you believe that society has violated you?

CRIMINAL ADDICTION

1. Innocent children are murdered by stray bullets and violent acts. What can we/you do to stop this?
2. Criminal addiction is a disease that manifests itself through a person’s anger, poverty, low self-esteem and joining a gang. How can a person overcome all of these things without committing crimes?
3. Do you believe you were born to be a criminal because someone in your family has been in jail?
4. Do you believe that if you are poor, live in a project, a reservation, or a trailer park you have no choice but to become addicted to crime.
5. Do you think you or anyone can overcome the crime that’s in your heart?
6. What makes us commit crimes?
7. Is society or you responsible for crime?
8. Most criminals commit multiple crimes and have been to prison more than once. Are they addicted to crime?
9. Do you feel that criminal activity is the result of instability in the lives of individuals involved in crime or has society given them a raw deal?

RESIDUE

1. What residue are you left with from your relationship with the gang?
2. Do you believe that street terrorists are productive to society?
3. What do you think your community thinks of you when you become a gang member?
4. How do your parents feel if you commit a crime? Have your parents committed crimes with you?
5. Have your parents used drugs with you? If they did, how did you feel about that?

ISOLATION

1. Write a page about the problems you have with gangs, or other problems you have experienced that made you susceptible to being in a high risk situation?

LOVE

1. What is love, and what does it mean to you?
2. Have you ever been loved?
3. How do you know who you are?
4. Could you teach your friends how to be more aware of your worth?

EMPATHY

1. Have you ever heard of the word empathy?
2. Have you ever had empathy for someone in the opposition?
3. Have you ever not had empathy for anyone? If so, why?

EDUCATION

1. Street education can lead to prison time. How do you educate yourself and not become involved with the criminal element?
2. Gang infested communities have high crime rates. Students are threatened by the violence in school. How can you get past the gangs to obtain a proper education?
3. Parents must get involved in their child’s education, and have a better understanding of their needs. How can you educate the community about gangs?
4. Education provides a better life for you and your family. What should you do? a) Be a gang member; b) Be a student; c) Be a criminal; d) All of the above

HUMILITY

1. When our ego gets in the way, it becomes difficult to handle a simple problem. How can you find a way to avoid physical confrontation?
2. When a person calls you out, do you want to fight? Do you fee disrespected?
3. What will you do? a) Talk trash?; b) Fight?; c) Ignore the comment?; d) Address the issue with humility?; e) All of the above

4) Why do you think that God created humility?

SPIRITUALITY

1. Do you believe God is in your life each and every day? Is God a part of your thinking? Can God help change things?
2. Our spirituality can be a part of our moral compass. Spirituality can help build families and create positive role models. How might a sense of spirituality help a gang member to change?
3. If we believe that God created us, then we are his creation. God loves us all. Even our enemies are his creation. God does not want any of us to be controlled by violence and hatred. Do you believe this?
4. Spirituality is to be at peace with yourself and the people around you. How can you express your spirituality to others?

PEACE

1. What can we say to a gang member about peace?
2. What solution and mindset must a person have to secure peace in the ‘hood?
3. Is there anyone in the neighborhood to talk with about peace?
4. Can you obtain peace?
5. How can you use social media to speak with friends and foes about peace at school and in the ‘hood?
6. What about peace at home? How might peace at home translate into peace on the streets?
7. If you had the power to talk to all of the gangs in your community, what would you say to them?

FORGIVENESS

1. While growing up we might have heard words like, “I hate you. You are not my brother or sister.” Later on when something happens that hurts us, we might not want to forgive those in our family. How can we work towards forgiveness?
2. Forgiveness starts with each of us, and must come with peace and the act of humbling ourselves. Without either of these two things, wanting peace and humility, forgiveness is shallow at best. How might I begin the process of forgiving?
3. Have you ever tried to forgive an enemy? Have you ever tried to forgive yourself?
4. The world doesn’t teach us to forgive and is often times a very unforgiving place. Does this mean that forgiveness is not possible?

COMPASSION

1. If there was more compassion in society, would there still be a lot of crime
2. Does showing compassion make you appear weak?
3. If compassion had been in the home of gang bangers while they were growing you, do you think they would have joined the gang?
4. How do you feel about people that are different than you? Can you have compassion for them?

LEGIT HUSSTLE

1. A legit hustle does not have to be a hard thing to do. It can be a commitment to reach a promising goal but requires discipline and sacrifice on your part. Education is the tool that enables you to succeed. Staying in school allows you to become someone with a legit hustle. Think about what you would like to become someday and write about it in 3 paragraphs or more.
2. Once you have your goals, how can you stay committed to them? How can you get past the temptations to do other things instead?
3. Do you believe your goals are worth more than nice clothes, shoes, and other material things? What will help you stay focused.

UNITY

1. A nation united is a very powerful political and economical force. A divided nation will be destroyed. What does unity mean to you when it comes to your ethnic heritage? Your community? Your school? Your home? Answer with a one page essay.

COMMUNITY

1. What does communication mean to you?
2. What does it mean to be a good communicator?
3. What are the tools necessary to be an effective communicator?

DESTINATION

1. What is your destination?
2. Do you think your happiness depends on where you are going?
3. Do you think your children’s future is dependent on you?

GLOSSARY

Baddest — Mean, tough, hard, not afraid, and sometimes mean crazy.

Bling — Wearing a lot of shinny jewelry.

Blunt — When you remove the inside of a cigar and replace it with marijuana.

Brick — Another word for a kilo of cocaine.

Broad — Another name for a girl or woman.

Cannon — Hang gun.

Chief — The leader of a gang.

Cop — To cop is to buy drugs.

Crack — Cocaine when it is in rock form.

Crib — Another name for your home.

Cush — High quality marijuana.

Desert Eagle — The brand name for a particular gun.

Dropped — When you are killed.

Dumping — Shooting.

Flip — When you buy drugs and sell them for a profit.

Freak — A person having sex, or doing anything while having sex.

Homies — Another word for friend.

Jocking — When you overly like someone because of what they have.

Lame — A name for someone that you don’t think is cool.

Mean Mugging — When you walk around with your faced masked up trying to scare people.

Merked — To be badly beaten or killed.

Opposition — Gangs refer to other gangs as the opposition

Pissy — Has many meanings, but in this book it is used to describe a hallway where people urinate; can also be used for someone who is dirty.

Popped — You were shot or arrested.

Poppin’ Pills — People are popping drugs in the form of pills.

Ride/Ride — Can mean car, cars, friend, or friends.

Stang — Can be used to describe someone who is a target, or someone you trick out of something.

Shorties — Can be used to describe young kids in the streets or your girl.

Swag — Means you are cool or you show high self-confidence.

Sucker — A person who does not have the swag or street smarts.

Tella Tale — Name given to someone who is a snitch.

The bug crew — Drug addicted inmates in a prison.

Trickin’ off — When you spend your money.

Wanna Be’s — Someone who wants to be in the streets, but just doesn’t have it.

Whip — A car.