Jorge was chased back into the bakery by a young man who executed him on the floor of the business. On the day of his funeral, Northsiders retaliated by stabbing two City Hall-related youth. MANY OF THE solutions to urban violence proposed by adults have focused on working to eradicate gangs from our society. But youth gangs won't go away until society works together with youth to address the issues that cause young people to join gangs in the first place. Barrios Unidos in Santa Cruz is part of a growing movement of church people, community activists, educators, and ex-gang members who, instead of blaming young people for society's problems, are sticking with them to work in creative ways to end the violence.
Gangs are the cheapest club they can afford.
They start as a friendship kind of thing and one thing leads to another. I wouldn't even call them gangs unless they're doing criminal activities. Young kids really just want a place to fit in. It is the local manifestation of The National Coalition to End Barrio Warfare, of which Nane is also a founder. A veteran of the Vietnam War and a former drug addict, Nane saw 14 of his relatives die in 10 years due to gang-related violence, including two of his three brothers.