Below are the responses that I selected as best. I did a bit of editing, and you'll note that I selected more than one family's responses for each question. At the end I indicate the bonus points that I awarded the families for their work. Finally, REMEMBER THAT I WILL BE MAKING UP SOME FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS FROM THESE RESPONSES, AS WELL AS FROM THE POINTS I HIGHLIGHTED IN CLASS YESTERDAY (11/17).
1. What did you find was the MOST SURPRISING FACT OR OBSERVATION in the book, and WHY?
RED FAMILY: We found the most surprising fact or observation in the book to be that violence isn't always the only way to solve problems between gangs. We were surprised to find that a police officer and a pastor were mediating between the two gangs and were helping to decide what the (informal) consequences should be for the gang that initiated the drive-by shooting. This surprised us because you typically think of gangs resorting to violence as the only way to solve issues. Also, it was surprising because the police officer and pastor were trying to mediate between criminals without punishing them or (openly) passing any sort of judgment on them. Finally, this fact surprised us because the informal agreement between the two gangs was actually reached (one gang couldn't earn money selling drugs for a week) and the agreement was followed by the two gangs, indicating some basic level of respect.
a.) Some credit goes to the Yellow family for making basically the same point, but not quite as well.
BLACK FAMILY: I believe the most surprising fact or observation was how the gang and J.T. in particular accepted Sudhir. Sudhir was able to rise through the ranks and befriend gang members and see how they work, live, and play. It was amazing how they let an outsider come in and eventually run the gang for a very brief period of time. I would have never believed that an outsider had the potential to infiltrate a gang and study them at the same time, but Sudhir did it. With the odds stacked against him, Sudhir managed to prevail and complete a detailed study, while at the same time develop amazing relationships with those around him.
BLUE FAMILY (less credit): The complex infrastructure of the gangs -- that they are run more like businesses with bosses and a lower level workforce. At the bottom of this system are the younger teenagers dealing drugs, who do the dirtiest, most difficult work for the lowest pay. J.T. would go around and check on these lower level workers to make sure they were doing their jobs. Even more challenging, J.T. had to find a way to motivate them despite the low pay.
2. What do you believe is the MOST INSIGHTFUL PASSAGE in the book (no more than a paragraph long), and WHY?
GREEN FAMILY: "I had been hanging around J.T. and his gang for several months by now, and I'd never seen J.T. engage in violence. I felt like his scribe, tailing a powerful leader who liked to joke with the tenants and, when he needed to be assertive, did so quietly. I was naive, I suppose, but I had somehow persuaded myself that just because I hadn't seen any violence, it didn't exist. Now, I HAD seen a different side of his power, a far less polished presentation." (p. 63)
This dealt with Sudhir's reaction to J.T.'s beating of C-Note. Up until this point, Sudhir leads the reader to believe that the Black Kings are this benevolent organization providing law and order in their community. Granted, I knew they dealt with drugs and racketeering, but I still found myself constantly thinking how beneficial they were to the Robert Taylor Homes. After this beating and Sudhir's reaction, it was as if I was suddenly brought back to reality that this is a gang. While gangs may provide certain benefits to a community, criminal and cruel activity still goes on.
RED FAMILY: We found the most insightful passage in the book on p. 43, when Ms. Mae (J.T.'s mom) said: "We live in a COMMUNITY, understand? Not the PROJECTS -- I hate that word. We live in a COMMUNITY. We need a helping hand now and then, but who doesn't? Everyone in this building helps as much as they can. We share our food, just like I'm doing with you."
We found this passage to be insightful because it gives a little different perspective of the Robert Taylor Homes area that is usually just thought to be a crime-ridden area where gangs battle and sell illegal drugs. The passage brings to light that gang members aren't the only people who live in the Robert Taylor Homes area and that those other people who live there do not want to be pitied by others as they struggle to survive just like everyone else in other communities. The passage also brings to light the fact that, although illegal behavior may be involved, the people of the Robert Taylor Homes area are in fact a community committed to helping one another.
BLACK FAMILY: "My mind raced as they spoke. I couldn't believe that a religious leader and a police officer were not only watching this mediation but were actually FACILITATING it. What incentive did they have to do so -- and what would happen if people from the community found out they were helping gang leaders settle their disputes? I was also struck by how levelheaded everyone seemed, even J.T. and Mayne, as if they'd been through this before. These were the same two gang leaders, after all, who had been trying to kill each other, quite literally, with drive-by shootings. I wondered if one of them might even pull a gun here at any moment. Perhaps the strangest thing was how sanguine the community leaders were about the fact that these men sold crack cocaine for a living. But at this moment it seemed that pragmatism was more important than moralism." (p. 109)
Counters the stereotypes of middle and upper class people that gangs are all about violence and consist of ignorant thugs. When in reality this paragraph shows how powerful and feared these gangs are and not only because they can be violent but because they are organized, intelligent, and difficult to understand or predict. Sudhir comments on how "levelheaded" the two gang leaders appear to be, which shows that these gangs are really just a business that happens to operate outside the realm of the law.
3. What do you believe is the MOST IMPORTANT LESSON to be drawn from the book in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs?
BLACK FAMILY: Gang life seems to be a source of primary socialization of sorts and has therefore soldified its position in many communities. The gang serves as an institution that provides rules and structure to social and economic practices in areas where many of these traditional structures are failing or absent. This, therefore, explains why gangs are so difficult to deal with from a law enforcement standpoint.
GREEN FAMILY: The most important lesson in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs is to never judge a book by its cover....Venkatesh shows...that gangs are not always what they seem and even participate in organizations that give back to the community.
YELLOW FAMILY: The most important lesson to be drawn from the book in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs is the fact that gangs are organized groups that have a strong focus on money and unity.
Bonus points:
BLACK FAMILY - 3PTS
RED FAMILY - 2PTS
GREEN FAMILY - 2PTS
YELLOW FAMILY - 1PT
BLUE FAMILY - 1PT
____________________________
That's all for now. See you next week when we will see the documentary on Tulia and the famous Zapruder film of the JFK assassination.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment