Bookz In The Hood

Dang, it feels good ta be a gangsta...

Just kidding.

And if you were able to read today's find, you'd know that gangs are no laughing matter.


I grew up in white, rural America. When I was in my early adolescence, the word "gang" was exciting to me because it was so foreign. I can recall several kids in my class (trust me. there were not a lot of kids to recall.) making an attempt at starting a gang--a "real gang." I can't remember the name, but I'm sure it was something like "Bad Boys" (without a Z) or "The Killers." Yes, yes. Please, go ahead and laugh.
     I was probably the sixth inductee into this gang, and, to celebrate, I went straight home and rapped about it with my Momz. Mom, ahem, was not happy  and reacted accordingly to her son's nonchalant, "Yeah, I'm rollin' wit a posse" by threatening me with the reality of being grounded.

That ended my career in a gang.

This pamphlet was actually a nice find. I assumed it was going to talk at length about how evil gang members are, but, I was wrong and was reminded of an age old adage, "Don't hate the gang member hate the gang." Which IS what this pamphlet preaches. Sort of. After you finish reading about all the psychological horrors that gang-warfare can do to a mind, you are treated to the blunt, simple statement: "You can't treat the effect and ignore the cause." Basically, gang members--real and rural--are people with differences and those differences stem from the environments they grew up in. Youth, without proper guidance, are more likely to end up in a gang because it adds the sensation of "family." Not a revelation, I know, but I do appreciate anyone who looks at the Why? instead of the What!?

"Cuz no matter what you believe, you gotz ta believe in reasons, son."
                                                                                 -TLB

Today's pamphlet was brought to you by The National Bank Note Issues of 1929-1935. Riveting reading. Trust me.