Homeboy Industries

[Terminal Est]

A program for youths who are part of street gangs, it offers programs to get them out of it, like education, therapy, job placement. While I could go on about social brainwashing, it certainly is a much better alternative to poverty stricken youth, or ones neglected by their parents and thus the only conclusion to feel accepted and important is through rival gangs.
I always used to bitch about this, but I am quite happy to see that finally, people are starting to take notice of them, and realizing that they may be a product of the very society in which they live. I think it is a great idea. What do you think?

http://www.homeboy-industries.org/

[MidgarFanatic]

Such a program would surely be a welcomed addition to anybody’s neighborhood. It is a difficult problem when there are those who wish to discontinue such a lifestyle, only to find there are no avenues in which to follow. I suppose this happens mostly as a result of the illegality of the very nature of gangs itself, and the apprehension of almost any government and community support to have anything associated with them in anyway, even if it is to help stop them. I am not surprised that this program has sprung up in the hot-spot of Los Angeles, where it is fact that the problems of gang-related activity has become somewhat overwhelming, even to the rest of the world.

Homeboy Industries seems to be a detailed operation. It is refreshing and organized and would seem to appeal to the exact target market it seeks to serve. I am impressed by the extent of services it has to offer, including a way to remove those regrettable gang tattoos. Certainly unusual, and yet definitely addressing an important aspect of gang life. There can be many first steps to getting out of trouble, and having access to people like counselors, educators, and lawyers seems an obvious way to offer an easier way out for members of these back-alley groups.

Although I have a feeling economics played a part in this, I feel that such a simple solution (that is obviously seeing results) should have been implemented ages ago; after all, it is a method that has proven to work before. When they have flooded troubled inner-city schools with things like extracurricular sports and other free social programs like music and art, they have almost always found overall improvements in grades and reductions in student confrontations. If this works for youth in schools, why not adults too? Helping people find alternative outlets for their aggression and channeling it into more lucrative prospects would seem to be the way to go.

I have made my mistakes in the past, but I am grateful that there have always been ways to correct these missteps, and I have been grateful for them. There are so many things that I have that I take for granted, and I must remember that so many other people don’t. But along comes Homeboy Industries and proves to me that there is a demand coming from those who wish to seek these very things, and live a safe and happy life.