Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

Gangs, vehemence and drug use atomic number 18 realities that intimately people in communities where destitution proliferates. While poverty, in itself, is not the major factor, it is certainly a assay factor and leads to further complications. Those who are poor and homeless definitely chip in less choice in the way they be their live ons. In this regard, they are forced to engage in dangerous and even criminal carriage ripe to win their next meal or protect themselves from new(prenominal) people who may be eyeing the same source of income or subsistence in the fraternity.When a sufficient number of people within the biotic community last extreme poverty and they resort to extra-legal behaviors, the community leave coffin nail deteriorate and its citizens will collapse to live with the reality of gangs, per passwordnel and drugs. The control of Luis Rodriguez, Always Running, is an suffer to present the place in East Los Angeles. Amid the splendor and the rich ness of Los Angeles, the community of East LA is Americas version of the third world.More than just a psychological and sociological reflection on the realities of gangs and violence, his is reflection of psyche who really went through the ordeals of gangs, violence and the use of drugs in the locality. By piece of music his memoirs, Rodriguez (1994) depicted the scenes of his neighborhood with urgency and the poignancy of someone who truly see the events he portrays in his book. Gangs, Violence and Drugs in East LA The preponderance of gangs, violence and drug use in any given neighborhood may be easily blamed on the adventurous odour of young men and women who seek life outside of their families.Or to the people behind the gangs who just manipulate the lives of these young people for their own personal gain. ground on the memoir of Rodriguez (1994), however, a number of reasons may be pointed to. matchless is the homelessness and continuous search of protection for oneself and ones family. The title of the book is Always Running. The status of the family and ones relationship with the family has an impact on the kids who decide to join the gang. To protect themselves from harm and to help come on aliment for themselves and their families, gangs are an alternative for these kids. other reason for this proliferation is the search for exiting and camaraderie they find in gangs. Gangs often function as a surrogate family, albeit a dysfunctional one, to those who choose to hold up to them. Through the process of initiation, the togetherness and the invitation to toughness, the kids who decide to go to gangs become caught up in a vicious cycle that becomes genuinely difficult to break. Rodriguez (1994), himself, learned how to run away from the police, how to steal, rob, and even engage in rape and other criminal behavior.Gangs also give a glossary of order and instruction for the kids who die to them. By trusting the older and more than senior me mbers of the gangs, the young people get a semblance of direction as other gang members tell them about the things they should do to cover as members of the gang. Through the difficulties that they face in their own lives, they stub chance upon a level of control through their membership in the gangs. It is a destructive process but since these gangs are available in the neighborhood, the temptation to be a part of these is too great to resist for most young people.The whole community is affected by these gangs and violence. Although most of the families in the neighborhood are fragmented by poverty, divorce and other issues, they were lull a force that most kids respected. As much(prenominal), to a certain level, families were heeded by gang members. Yet, the community often responds by trying to ignore these events and agreeable the police and other authorities to bring order. More than that, they also live in fear of the constant fighting among gangs and the violence they l eave in the wake of such fighting.Those who do not belong to the community carry to look negatively to the community and shun it. This way, the gangs may feast on strangers who happen to wander into their territories. Since gangs are territorial, they would not tolerate other gangs from mercurial into their territories. Yet, as the police becomes involves, such scenario is difficult to avoid. at that placefore, some gangs do get in trouble with the police and with other gangs at the same time. This scenario becomes bromide in the community and they cease to fight it and actively go against such culture.When this happens, they simply accept the reality of gangs, violence and drug use and do their best to minimize their impact on their lives and activities. Yet, they croupenot get away from these realities. There are also members of the community who feel protective of the members of the gang, but not necessarily of the gangs. This is because of the perceived way in which they co ntrast their situation with the situation of more affluent people in the outskirts of their community and beyond.As such, they reason, albeit subconsciously, that the gangs are a natural outgrowth of the desire of these people to protect themselves from other roots pursuance to take advantage of them. Such stance therefore justifies in their minds the worldly concern of such gangs and the necessity for violence. Aiming for Change There are instances, however, when the community is mustered to march and inspired to spearhead some qualifys in the community. When the culture of the people who belong to the community is beared, they are moved for action.When a particular cultural group manages to prove itself, the community rouses from slumber and they respond in kind. They then tramp their collective power and empower the young people in the community to aim for their best so that their lives would improve. This also helped the young people affirm the culture that they have even if the school system did not have provisions for such. The achievements of such kids, therefore, became the achievement of the community and became a symbol of what they can do if they choose to rise above their economic and social standing. Another important aspect of the issue of gangs is the issue of race.Cultural groups such as Chicanos would ask to band together so that they would not fall prey to washrag kids who are intent on waging violence against those who do not belong to them. Conclusion The issue of gangs, violence and drug use is multi-faceted. As such, the solutions that would be proposed should also take into account the issues of culture, family, school, and poverty. Sociological, political and economic analyses have been made. Yet, the memoirs of Rodriguez are a stark reminder that more than just academic curiosities, the kids who belong to gangs are real people who conduct empowerment.Rodriguez told the story of his life with gangs, violence and drugs as a mea ns of showing his son what it was like to live a life that was always running. By documenting his experiences, he hopes to deter his son from his foray on such a risky life. Gang members can make choices to move away from their gangster lifestyles. But they will need the economic stability and the support of the community if they were to do that. The case of Rodriguez is an exemplification of a man who thought about his life and decided to change it for the better. Reference Rodriguez, LJ (1994). Always Running La Vida Loca Gang Days in L. A. LA Touchstone.