Bangin' in Little Rock. The former director of the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory addressed several Hardin County and Fort Knox middle and high schools Wednesday. They will visit more schools today. The visit is capped off with a special parent meeting at 7 tonight in Stithton Baptist Church. What he and educators hoped was that the youths wouldn't tune out the overall message.
Gangs typically promise danger, death or jail time.
The solution lies with each youth who chooses to turn away from a gang, turning to other people and activities for something to do. Asked if they knew anyone who had been initiated into a gang or been involved in gang violence, dozens of students raised their hands. The danger lies with guns, often carried by gang members and other youth. You must not pick up weapons to resolve conflicts regardless of what you see on TV, regardless of what somebody else tells you. While the delivery may have been different with less preaching, some students said they had heard the words before.