3 comments:

• Robert Jacobs posted at 8:13 am on Sat, Dec 29, 2012.

  Posts: 298

  This kind of thing (Gangs) didn't just start when a person turned 15, 16, 17, 18, or one day decided to kill someone, or rob, or rape, steal, or what ever it is they did. No, this started when these people were children when they were emotionally, physically or sexually abused or all three by the very people that should have been loving them and taking care of them! Parents or anyone who was in charge of bringing up these children! Children do NOT come out of the womb broken, that is done by the very people who should be loving them and teaching them respect for themselves and others! Of course not every person who kills was abused as children nor does everyone who was abused become a killer, rapist etc.. Does this give a person a right to hurt others because they were hurt? Of course not! But it's certainly understandable if not expected!

  We should be diligent about checking on children before they're abused. How would we do that? I have no idea, but that is the only way we will ever stop these senseless killings, rapes, robberies, etc... Because after the fact it's too late!

  I can see in the posts at least some blame drugs and alcohol as the reason for this kind of behavior. While drugs and alcohol certainly fan the flames they aren't the cause for the behavior they are only the symptom of the problem! Drug and alcohol abuse numb the problem, they keep those who use from feeling and from hurting. Albeit they cause even more problems but themselves are never the underline cause! Because "almost" without fail people who are loved and nurtured as children do NOT grow up to abuse alcohol and drugs! Of course there are always exceptions to the rule.

  In the U.S. our prisons are bursting at the seems with people who were arrested and sent to prison on drug related charges! They go in and out constantly, the recidivism rate if very high proving that punishment does NOT cure drug or alcohol use or anything else for that matter. There is only one thing that can change a person, and that is "that person" themselves. I'm not advocating we let murders and rapists, etc out of prison. I believe prison is a good place for anyone who violent! But not for drug and alcohol users. It is much cheaper to treat than to incarcerate! The reason we don't do the latter is because most don't give two Shi** about other people! Its not their problem, when down the line it actually is!

  Good luck to all of us, and may God protect us from ourselves!

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• Ed Walters posted at 3:27 pm on Wed, Dec 26, 2012.

  Posts: 159

  I don`t live on the eastside simply because I worked hard all my life, nobody gave me anything and is the reason I live where I live. Duplexes are the beinging of the end as gangs seem to prefer them since everyone has to live, or exist somewhere. Gangs are there own worst problem, this blue and red crap is the major cause of the problems on the east side, along with guns that have been stolden, and life doesn`t seem to be worth much. Don`t put the blame on people that work for a living. It`s up to the eastside folks to make the change, and don`t put the blame on anyone that works for a living and pays bills. Doing drugs and running against the law you will either end up in jail or in potters field.

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• Doug Chaney posted at 7:18 am on Wed, Dec 26, 2012.

  Posts: 402

  And as Lodi's illustrious leaders still downplay the fact that gangs aren't a real problem and ignore the fact that the drug problem, especially alcohol, continues to spiral out of control while nearly every commercial business in town has some kind of a permit to either dispense, sell or permit off site alcohol sales. The lack of information in the local paper concerning the rampant gang, drug and alcohol problem seem to be a priority and gives the appearance of being a matter of possibly scaring away one of those tourists' that come to Lodi to imbibe in the many wine events that occur on a regular basis. It's time the city of Lodi opens up communication with the eastside residents and tear down that "Berlin wall" they have created to keep the eastside residents, mostly low income, poor and minorities from having any interaction with the city of Lodi. The racial barrier in Lodi has plenty to do with the gang problem and until the city of Lodi changes its biased and bigoted ways, nothing will change.

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