>>>>They do not have specific neighborhoods here, so they go to the malls and college areas. I guess in some other cities up north they stay in their own areas. Areas where people who live in nice neighborhoods don't go. I guess that would be safer.
>>>>
>>>>http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3305482/
>>>
>>>This is really a pebble in your shoe, isn't it? How come? Just curious.
>>>
>>>I suppose me position on the whole parental vigilance is closest to Nick Mason's, among those who have weighed in here. I am not blind to the dangers out there, and have made sure my daughters aren't blind to them, either, but believe kids will be handicapped as adults if they are kept on too short a leash. This outlook comes specifically from my own experiences. I realize others have seen the dark side more closely and are therefore more protective.
>>
>>I think because we've already seen traces of it in the area we live. We have a nice place, but it is sort of an island in the midst of a lot of rental properties and economically-challenged areas. I think I mentioned a couple situations where we've had groups of kids steal our girl's stuff from her playhouse and also the police raiding our neighbor's house looking for a gang member. Guns drawn, shields, vests, the whole thing. That does make it more personal, but I see plenty of activity when we drive in/out to our home as well. We really like our house/property, but we are really starting to question where we live. Tamor would argue that the problem is our neighborhood, but when we go to the mall and see groups of thugs - yes, if you're not a complete naive idiot you can tell them from the teenagers with angst - and then hear about the stabbings and shootings in public places that are in good areas, then we have to question the level of safety at these places. Is this the average?
>>Not sure. But people from the nice protected neighborhoods shop at these same malls and stores, so I'm not sure how they think that they are safer because they go home to a different place.
>
>That was the most logical and thought out statement you've made. You drew a clear picture of the current situation in North Carolina. We don't have many, if any, 'gang neighborhoods.' We do have some low-income neighborhoods, but not gang riddled neighborhoods. Most neighborhoods are a mixture of different priced houses as well. Only around Raleigh and Charlotte do we really have a few very exclusive neighborhoods. The gang members are in many neighborhoods, and in most cases, the parents are not even aware their child is a gang member because their activity is not in their own neighborhood unless it is breaking and entering. The gang members here typically dress and behave around home and family just like every other teen. No one has a clue unless they are another teen who knows they are in a gang or one of their victims or see them hanging with known gang members. In my previous neighborhood, a boy on the corner belonged to a gang and they were robbing houses during the
>middle of the day in my neighborhood. His parents didn't have a clue. They left school at lunchtime and broke into houses (we lived right across from the high school) and then returned to school. By the time the police showed up, everyone was back in class. Good job Jay.

Yeah, if I take my time and don't get all worked-up, I can throw a few cohesive thoughts together. <g>