I come from
Southern California which is undoubtedly the gang capital of the world. There are over
150,000 gang members in So Cal alone, an absolutely staggering number. Unfortunately, Los
Angeles is a shining example of what happens when the problem of gangs is not dealt with
in a proper and effective manner. I believe many experts including police officers truly
believe that the gangs control Los Angeles and that there is nothing that can be done to
stop it. Gangs know no racial, economic, or social barriers. Don’t believe that the Nazi
Lowriders are any worse than the Crips or other minority gangs; they are all criminal
enterprises that victimize innocent lives. Kids who join or want to join gangs are fed
romantic notions about the gangster lifestyle. When you combine this with a natural
tendency for young men to be “machismo” with all of their hormones pumping, it
doesn’t take much for impressionable young people to buy into this “glamorous”
lifestyle. And that is exactly what the gang veterans and leaders want. After all, without
fresh blood the gangs would wither and cease to exist. I truly believe many young people
who join gangs have no idea what this ‘lifestyle’ is all about. They have no idea what
spending time in state/federal prison is like. Your “homies” in prison could
very well end up killing you for the smallest of reasons. You could be raped or shanked
without warning. You may be ordered to kill another inmate and if you hesitate, YOU will
be killed. I saw a documentary about gangs a while ago, and they interviewed this one
inmate. He said that you MUST do whatever the shot callers tell you to, and if that means
hiding a knife in your rectum until you can use it to stab an enemy, so be it. Is that
what you want to do with the rest of your life, always worrying if you’ll live to see the
next day and knowing that you may never do things that many of us take for granted? Things
like waking up and walking out the door, going to McDonald’s, taking your girlfriend/wife
to the movies? Sad

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Have you ever felt that your resume gets lost in oblivion when you submit it to jobs at sites like Monster.com? Have you ever found it hard to find other places to find work? We all have! Fortunately there are a LOT of new sites to tap into if you are a professional, job seeker or business owner. For example, Craigs List (www.craigslist.org) is one of the best new places to find job listings, from everything to machinery work to marketing to film and television. You can not only search for job listings in your city, but any city in the country. Another great place to find job listings are on the trade digital media sites and blogs in various industries. For example, if you are interested in a public relations career, sites likePRWeek.com and others will often list great job opportunities for people of all skill levels. If you’re serious about finding work and want to make a mark, sites like LinkedIn house millions of people at top companies around the country, in virtually every industry you can think of. If you don’t have a profile set up there, be sure to check it out. You can also find hiring managers and other corporate heads on these sites, as well as job listings and opportunities they have posted. There are even sites for specific niches like television, spokesperson work, etc. Backstagewest.com lists castings for all kinds of work in entertainment, whether it is film, TV, or web shows. It requires a tiny fee every month to be part, but there are plenty of other sites out there that may not. Just do a quick Google search and you’ll likely find other options. As you continue your job or work effort, always remember to check back frequently. Listings pop up every day all over the web so you’ll want to keep tabs on what’s new and going on.

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“303 shootings in July is typical for Chicago” was the headline from Chicago this last month. The article doesn’t even convey shock or outrage that the cities street are a war zone. Had there been 290 shootings last month would the headlines have rung out about the decline?

People have become casual about the losses on our streets, if they’re not affected they don’t care. If they are affected and in a gang it’s an occupational hazard, if you’re an innocent bystander it’s a tragedy.

Until we come to a place that the carnage on our streets is unacceptable we will never have the will to address the issue and bring some resolution and peace to the streets.

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One to ponder from Bro Mike

Winston Churchill has been credited with the following quote which I discovered a few years back: “Never compromise; Never, Never, NEVER compromise!” I’ve been thinking of Sir Winston’s quote over the last few weeks as mayhem has reared its ugly head and challenged us, once again. Sure, one can have faith when the sun is out and all is well–but is it a faith that will stand in the storms of life? May I encourage us?

Here is my comfort, and the comfort of those who are firmly in the Christian faith which God lays out in the KJV Bible at the times we scream to the heavens `why,’ with tears in our eyes: God never moves! Men and women have the freewill to mock His standards, but God never moves! Accepting this first key fact will keep one’s Christian faith strong, vibrant, and growing. The second key fact? Jesus Christ is who He says he is and doesn’t candy-coat the potential for unseen evil residing in thehearts of men and women (Matt. 15:19). The Scribes and Pharisees `looked’ good and `sounded’ religious. Nevertheless, Christ did not spare them when their sins were made public.

In our city, much sin and tragedy has `gone public.’ The prophetic clock is on time and ticking to its logical conclusion (II Timothy 3:1-13). If one has the man-made brand of faith, one willingly accepts the candy-coating of sin at its beginning, and holds prayer vigils at crime scenes after sin has run its course. If one has the God-breathed kind of faith, one can focus unwavering on the triumph, and lean on Christ for illumination to walk them through any tragedy. The hurting heart can only choose one of these faiths to rest upon. Which will YOU choose, this day!

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This recommendation from our own Lil Cash Money…

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was born and raised in a tough neighborhood but growing up as a child was good. Although I didn’t have everything I had enough to survive.
Both of my parents lived with me along with my two brothers.

It wasn’t until my teenage years when I started experiencing “gang life.” My middle school was horrible. I lived next to
another infamous neighborhood . My neighborhood was full of Hispanics and of course, we always rumbled with our rivals. As I think back I couldn’t believe how young those kids were who would bring guns and knives to school. I got caught up in middle school but I
survived. Some didn’t though. I had many classmates and friends die simply because they belonged to a gang.

There’s always hope though and I’m living
proof of that. After getting away from all the violence I finished high school. Now i’m in
my third year of college and I’m still going. I have a good paying job at an accounting
firm and I have a daughter. Thinking back I realize that everything I went through as a
boy made me the man I am today. It was tough but I survived. It could have been worse.

So to all you gang bangers who think
there’s nothing better life can offer to you, you’re wrong. There’s always hope out there
no matter how bad your situation is.

Never give up and hold your head up high.
BELIEVE!!!!!! R. Guerra

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Part 2 of a great 2 part sermon from Francis Chan at Cornerstone in Simi Valey CaliforniaRevelation In A Nutshell Part 2.

More message are available from the Cornerstone web site here.

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Lil Miss P has kindly offered to help out by answering any questions relating to finding a jobs that you may have. You can find all her job finding articles here.

Please send all your questions to help@gangstyle.com and we’ll answer them right here on our blog. We may wait a couple of weeks so we can collate our responses.

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The Number One Mistake Job Seekers Make? It’s Not What You Might Think

There is a very common mistake job seekers make and it’s not what you might think. It’s not dressing poorly, or having the perfect resume (though these are common too!). It’s actually in seeing the world from your versus a employer’s world. The majority of those seeking employment make the mistake — from college grads to first time workers to seasoned veterans. Rather than writing cover letters and resumes that speak about why they’re right for the job, what they’ll bring to the company and the other value they’ll provide, many prospective employees focus on what they themselves want — what type of role they’re looking for, what their plans are, etc. It’s not to say that these things aren’t ideal to include at some point in your pitch about yourself, or during interviews and conversations. But, if you aren’t speaking the language of employers — and more importantly, how your joining the company will benefit them, then you are likely putting yourself at a disadvantage. When you’re writing cover letters, email pitches, and even follow up notes, ask yourself: What does this company need? What might they be looking for? And then, finally and most importantly, what YOU have to bring to THEM. A great example of how this works is in my own work and life. I’ve been able to connect with companies of all sizes, directly resulting in opportunities. I’m not any different than most candidates, but because I spoke the employer’s language — versus that of my own — I’ve been better able to show hiring managers why they should bring me in. Try it today!.

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