POST 10 : TATTOOS & GANGS

Why do you think more and more people wear tattoos (regardless of whether they belong to gangs or not)?

At first sight, it appears that nowadays, wearing tattoos has become something fashionable. But we should not forget that for example, prisoners had tattoos to remain connected with the outside world, meaning that they'll write things like " For mum" or "To dad" for instance. And this kind of "ritual" has been preserved nowadays, mostly by men who call themselves "bad boys". They want to prove that they're tough guys and that you should not mess with them. Some tattoos can even become scary.  But according to many studies made in England, most tattooed people are suffering from personality disorder. In fact, they showed that women who don't qualify themselves as pretty, had the need of being tattoed. It could be a way to change their physical appearance, like to modify their body so as to fit better into it. Instead of modifying the entire body using plastic surgery for instance, being tattoed is an embellishment which aims to increase women's self-esteem. 

Thus, we should not forget that a tattoo can be considered as a work of art, like for example Tim Steiner's tattoo, situated on his back, displayed in many museums. His tattoo was sold for 150 000 euros. All in all, it would seem that a tattoo has a real meaning but it is, overall, an ornament for the body. 



Why do young people join gangs? 

Many times, children feel forced to become a gang member, because they live in fear on a daily basis and they may feel powerless against that fear. However, being part of a gang can give an impression of safety. Indeed, they learn how to use a gun, which gives them a feeling of power over everybody else. Furthermore, it is true that gang activities appear exciting to children and especially teenagers. Taking risks, feeling the rush of adrenaline, that's what they are looking for. It's a radically different lifestyle that can make them feel special and superior to  other "normal" children. Moreover, it appears that many of the children incorporating gangs come from single parent  families or broken homes , and the gang may act as a surrogate family because of the unbreakable link between all the gang members. On top of that, it is quite clear that a gang is a very easy and quick way to obtain money (thanks to drug trafficking for example) and this could be overwhelming for children. They may be offered more money for delivering a package or being a lookout, than their parents can earn in a week. In my opinion, it is undeniable that these children and teenagers don't realize that they will spend their entire life running from justice. For the time being, they're still young and they enjoy this feeling of being a kind of "thug", but when they'll become adults, the eagerness of building a family will be stronger than the gang's attraction and only at that moment, they'll regret the choice they made a few years ago. 

 
Gakirah Barnes, 17 years old. She was accused to have killed at least twice avenging murdered friends, the first time when she was just 14.

What link can you see between both topics and the notion of power?

According to my personal opinion, both a gang and a tattoo can have a power over somebody. Like I said previously, a tattoo gave a meaning to the prisoner's life because it was a way to stay related to the outside world and to keep hope. It also helps people to increase their self-esteem. Yet, it seems to me that joining a gang does the same thing. Actually, joining a gang may be a way to give a meaning to somebody's life, having a sense of purpose in life.
Secondly, it seems relevant to say that in some tribes like the Maori, the more tattoos you get, the higher social status you have. The leader of the tribe was the most tattoed. We can deduce that a tattoo is a mark of power. In fact, gang and prison tattoos have more in common with traditional tribal tattoos than they do with modern decorative body art. Each gang has their own symbol, generally tattoed on each gang member, so that the other gangs can recognize them. They also indicate your status in the gang, because the "black teardrop" tattoo for example, stands for a person killed or a stint in prison. Through this teardrop tattooed just below the eye, the gangster wants to scared the member of rival gangs and shows his power. Every gang member has a street name, tattooed on their body as well, because their nickname is more used than their real name. But this brings out the question, is power indelible just like a tattoo?  

POST 9: The Draw of 'Dead Town' - A Newsweek article (February 16, 2009) + GANGLAND Video

Go there for a full version of the Newsweek article given out in class.

Questions :

1. Gabriel Hinojos is an ancient member of the street gang in L.A. "Florencia 13". He wants to turn a new leaf, so he starts removing his gang tattoos : "There is the name of his gang, Florencia 13 or F13 (one of the largest in Los Angeles), written accross his neck in huge block letters and a large black spider ("Spider" is his street name) inked onto the side of his head"(l.12). It seems very hard for him to get out of F13 : "But escaping the pull of a gang life is extremely difficult"(l.22). But Gabriel Hinojos looks like a brave man, he can handle any pain to leave his gang behind and start a new life, because when he has to remove his tattoos, "he grimaced in pain"(l.8). He even describes how it feels like so the reader can feel his pain too : "You know when you're cooking and the oil hits you? It feels like that, over and over."(l.9).

2. 'Ya'Stuvo' is a tatto removal center, who aims to help gang bangers to remove their tattoos so they can get out of their gang. This spanish name means "that's enough, I'm done with that" (l.2). The name of the center has a symbolical meaning, because if the gang members go to that center is only to erase their tattoos as they erase they life as a gang banger.

3. According to the text, the "black teardrops" stand for "a stint in prison or a person killed" (l.5). This tattoo  simbolizes the number of people that the gang banger killed or it can represent a period of time in prison. These tattoed teardrops can maybe have a meaning : a gang banger doesn't suffer and doesn't cry even if he goes through terrible events. This tattoo could be a way to prove their strenght and courage.

4. This short sentence prove us that Gabriel Hinojos really wants to get rid of his tattoos to quit his gang once and for all. We can see in the article that Hinojos is going through a lot of pain to erase his tattoos but in spite of this, it's still his 45th to "Ya' stuvo". This shows his determination and his bravery.

5. Getting out of a gang is not easy : "Getting out of a street gang in L.A. is about like getting a tattoo removed ; slow, painful, scarring" (l.17).  Even if Hinojos tries really hard to leave his gang, the latter will always leave scars on his body and in his mind. But it should be noticed that Hinojos has been rewarded for his efforts : "He celebrated his achievement by sipping white wine with former first lady Laura Bush at the White House"(l.26)

6. It is not always possible because the article shows us how deep the scars left can be : "In street lore, a gang banger can never leave a really brutal gang"(l.18). "But escaping the pull of a gang life is extremely difficult"(l.22). Hinojos is making loads of efforts to move on but it is clear that F13 will always leave marks on him : "Some tattoos have faded into a faint collection of light gray lines, but they haven't gone away entirely". (l.14). Moreover, even if Hinojos was considered as the "poster child for leaving his gang life behind"(l.25), the end of the article says that "a few months later, he was back in jail"(l.27).

7. It can be feasible if the gang member has achieved a few conditions : first, he has to go through a stint in prison and then he has to show that he can seel drugs and use a gun.

8. It is very difficult to leave a gang accroding to Hinojos, because he misses the adrenaline that he felt and he's going through a lot of pain now to get all of his tattoos removed. Hinojos felt really good feelings when he was a gang member and now he's mostly feeling pain. Even if he knows that it's for the best, he misses the "old times".

9. The last three lines explains us that Hinojos was the perfect example of leaving the gang behind, so he met the former first lady Laura Bush at the White House. But in spite of this, Hinojos went back to jail. The temptation of feeling the adrenaline again was to strong that even after all his efforts, the attraction for the gang was to strong.

10. The photograph is showing us Hinojos who's getting his tatto removed. The laser looks really painful because of Hinojos'face. He's going through pain but he's handling it. Just like the article, the photograph shows the bravery of Gabriel and how the pain is not an obstacle for him. that he's going to leave his gang behind.