We had an inservice today, which is where we have to sit in a meeting all day with all of the other teachers in our district and go over the numbers, what's going on, and learn a little something. The first half of the day made me want to tear my eyeballs out for sheer boredom. First they covered everything about DJJ and education that's happened in the last year, then what's to come. After that, my big boss lady, whom I DESPISE, gave a presentation about special ed. I'm sure it helped a lot of the people there, who are completely unaware of how special ed. works, and that nine times out of ten, they are breaking the law when it comes to teaching special ed. kids. However, for me it was just a long review of college (which was not that long ago). Finally, though, it was time for lunch...

Which is where I got really pissed, but also had a nice time. This guy Ken approaches me at work a couple of weeks ago and asks me to set up a group and stuff to go to California Dreaming for lunch today, since we'd be downtown and have some time. I say, "Sure." Trey works there, I eat free, no problem there. Plus, since they know me, it tends to get us in faster. I emailed to everyone at work an open invite to come today. Many said they would. When it came time to go, not a single one came. That's not so much what pissed me off, though. Thankfully, people from other schools wanted to come, too, and we had a decent sized little crowd. It was actually quite nice to be with new and different people for a change, and get to talk about other stuff, like how their schools run and how they don't get Good Friday off (???). However, Ken tells me this morning that he's not feeling well, and may not go (Ummm, what the!). I tell him that it is not an option, since it was his idea, not mine, and that I will kick him hard in the shins if he does not go. Well, he didn't go. Asshole. As a matter of fact, only four people from my school went, down from about 15-20 who said they would, and none of them had even told me they were coming. Well, I guess you know who your friends are, eh, and who not to bother with. I'm just really peeved that he ditched me like that. I actually would have preferred to go somewhere else (I'm a little tired of going there). I went b/c I was obligated to go after Ken told me to set it up. He will get no more friendly emails from me asking him how his day's going anymore...

So anyway, after lunch is when the day picked up. A guy from the sheriff's office came in and talked to us about gang awareness. I must tell you that I was very little gang aware before today, and I was probably better off that way. I think I'm feeling quite depressed now after his presentation. He showed us a lot about their graffiti and stuff, which I have seen plenty of. The same went for the hand signals...I've seen my fair share. I just thought, though, that they were representing their gangs with the hand signs. However, what really scared me is that they are actually communicating that way. From what I can gather, I should be dead by now. For instance, when a boy pulls up on both sides of his shirt at the shoulders, it means to surround a person. When he rubs his belly it means to hit him. When he runs his hand across his abdomen diagonally and downward, it means to kill him. Well, I have seen all of those, not to mention the other ones he showed us, and I would guess then that I should be dead by now. The shoulder thing is almost daily. Oh, and if he pulls up on just one shoulder, that means he's pimping. Isn't that great? The things he showed us, though, are really quite astounding and terrifying. Like, for instance, the kids have to memorize the entire Book of Knowledge for their gang, which is about 3/4 inch thick (yet half of them can't even read!). They use 10 year olds and such that are in special ed. to do their dirty work at schools, b/c they can't be arrested, and they can't be expelled (special ed. students can only be suspended up to 10 days per school year by law). So here we have the youngest and lowest kids doing the most important lawbreaking stuff for these gangs. It showed how a kid could hide about 10 guns on his person w/o even one being seen or noticeable. There is a new gang from some hispanic country that has transplanted itself here to the US (and is rampant on the east coast--even as close as Rock Hill, SC, an hour and a half away) called MS-13, and they are cold-blooded killers with no respect for any rules but their own. They just recently chopped some kid's head and arms off in Rock Hill to show their power. They are so bad the FBI is involved with trying to put an end to them. He said that kids have to be beaten in (a large group of gang members beats the crap out of him) to the gangs, and many die from deadly blows. Some are born in b/c their parents are gang members. They even sell coloring books for little gang members that their parents can get them, complete with pics of guns and gang symbols. Some girls can be sexed in, where they have to have sex w/however many guys they roll on two dice. He even showed us pics of gang murders, complete with a picture of a guy who got run over by a concrete truck by an opposing gang right up in Charlotte, NC. These are the kids I work with. These are the kids that attend public schools. These are rich kids, poor kids, middle class kids. They are white, black, hispanic, Asian, etc...They are KIDS! I am also deciding to no longer listen to any rap music. Xibit (is that how you spell it?) has a video, which he showed us, where he does the Crip Dance, along with lots of kids doing it, too. They spell out Crip with their feet, and it insults other gang members. Then fights break out. Snoop is a Crip, too, as is Ice Cube and a bunch of others. They prey on this and make money off of it. It gets worse, though. Calvin Klein means CK, Crip Killa, which is a Bloods chosen line of clothing. Burker King, BK, means Blood Killa, where Crips choose to eat, and Bloods won't go near. ADIDAS stands for All Day I Disrespect a Slob, which is a Crip saying and chosen shoes. I was just talking to a kid the other day, and he said he can't wear anything but ADIDAS. I just thought he really liked the shoes....???? Crips are blue. Folks are under Crips, and they're black. Bloods are red. They also wear pink. The six sided star (of David) and a pitchfork are signs of Crips and Folks, and the five sided star is Bloods. They even go so far as to use number to signify certain letters of the alphabet! In other words, CK, or Crip Killa, would be 3-11. Graffiti is not only to represent, it's also to send messages, and he warned that if we ever saw any graffiti to report it to the police immediately, complete with what it said, then cover it up or get rid of it immediately, but not to cross it out. To cross it out would upset them and make it worse. To leave it would make the other gang feel the need to respond in like manner. My mind is full of this stuff, and I wish I didn't know any of it! There are tons of little kids in these wannabe gangs who are not only ruining their lives, but taking a big risk that the ones they have will be cut short. He said that if you ever meet an old person in a gang, he's usually left pretty much alone, b/c the fact that he's lived that long says a lot about what he's lived through. How sad is that?!

Okay, I've gone on long enough. I'm sorry that was so long. That was only the start of what I have learned about gangs since I've been at DJJ. It is the biggest tragedy I can think of. What's the saddest part is that these kids join them b/c they don't have the love and attention they need at home. So, please, if you got nothing else from this, please just go and tell your kid (or maybe any kid you know that could use some attention) how much you love him or her, and make sure to be the best parent you possibly can be. It's so scary out there!

You have a great day! I'll see you soon!