Living in Los Angeles we’re use to the “gang” element ’round here, unfortunately. But have you ever thought about where these “gangsters” come from? Think about it, they all start off as some one’s kid, right? No kid is born a gang-banger. Sure kids are born into gang affiliated families, but they still have a chance to escape it, right? If they’re lucky.

We live next door to a Mexican woman, Maria, who is raising, now, two teenage boys on her own. Their dad comes around, yet he’s basically an absentee parent. Maria works down the street from me, in Orange County (the white part of town). We see her mini van driving along side us on Alondra Blvd almost daily and the woman NEVER misses work. I know her oldest, Chris, isn’t going to school right now. Chris is 15, I believe. And her “baby”, Cody, is 13 and, sadly, following in his brother’s footsteps.

Living in a duplex style house our back doors are mere feet from each other, so I see and hear all the signal whistles Chis’ homies give him to come out. His mom works in a factory and often works longer than 8-5 M-F. I feel sorry for the lady because her son’s are headed down the wrong path in life.

Chris has already been picked up, twice, by the police. Once for position of spray cans and the other for “supposedly” (according to bio-dad) marijuana. This mom tries her best and is, unfortunately, failing in the raising of her two boys alone.

Back to why kids are so fucken dumb, Chris has fallen into the neighborhood “gang” element. He’s not a “gang-banger” yet. But he is running with the kids who are tagging and shit. I think he’s selling weed, too, out of his mom’s house. We recently had property work done ’round here, and fresh cement has been laid. Guess what? These dumb fucken kids have carved their names into the drying cement! DUH! Not a smart Chlo are you? Not only that, but last night I was outside my back door smoking, it was hot so I stepped outside and walked to the back of my house because I heard something. Guess what I saw? This stupid fuck, Chris, had tagged on the back of his OWN FUCKEN HOUSE! I shit you not. His “homies” call him Chester and its in BIG BLACK spray paint CHESTER on the wall. Talk about a fucken retard!

Dude, what the FUCK is wrong with kids these days?? I know I sound like an old bitch, but I’m not. I’m just a 34 year old parent who sees what is happening to our youth. What can be done to help them? What can be done for their parents? The sad thing is i heard they were going to move to Lynwood, which is a city that is not only predomiently black but GANG INFESTED! These poor kids haven’t got a chance in L.A. HELL to survive!

I may be a callous, Los Angeles bitch at times, but I’m still a woman, citizen, mother and a human who feels for these poor kids. THESE kids are the ones who need attention and help. But how can one help them, in a city that I live in where helping is misconstrued as interfering or even dangerous?

Life in L.A. sucks ass. I’d love to get my family out of here.