The Institute (協会)

Pretty sad that we are lamenting the incarceration of crime bosses because the result is a lack of discipline and order in our society. This is fascinating. You're right Anthony. It shows how important masculine leadership and family is to the function of a community, even if the function is dysfunctional.

Kinda reminds me of a "Lord of the Flies" in the 'hood

Dave, I agree. The closest thing to a father-figure/mentor these kids have are older gang members? Sad.

Where is the church in all of this? Seems to be a great opportunity to reach out to the low-hanging fruit, so to speak.

Anthony, Fascinating phenomenon. I wonder if we might take this as a bit of an illustration and turn the mirror to ourselves. It seems like many of us 20 and 30 somethings in the church are acting like these young gang members, particularly when we perpetuate the establishment of churches that have no one over the age of 40. The generational gap seems to be growing in the church today. Are those of us in these geriatric free environments prone to the same kind of uncontrolled damaging violence as those on Chicago's south side?

I know this isn't the primary point of the article, but is it a valid concern?

Wait a second here. While certainly the deaths of nine precious people and injuries to 36 others are not insignificant to their families, Chicago loses two or three people each day to murder, most of them when the "prospective perps" are out to party--that is on the weekends. Statistically, nine or even a dozen deaths in a weekend is not out of the ordinary for the Windy City--sadly.

It may be that gang leaders are substitute fathers; no less than Baden-Powell of the Boy Scouts used that very principle in founding the Scouts--the Scout Troop is modeled after informal "gangs" (Baden-Powell's phrase) that tend to form whenever boys get together. I just don't know that Chicago's current tragedies demonstrate that the problem today is that the leaders are in jail.

Now that they never got to spend much time with their dads, YOU BET. Just can't prove the gang leaders one.

Gangs are often substitutes for male-led families. It does not surprise that loss of these surrogate "fathers" would cause disruption in the gang order. Just another clue that male led ministry in these wounded areas is necessary.

Fellas, this is way off as far as I am concerned. I live in the midst of this stuff and while there is truth to the idea that older gang leaders are locked up at greater rates than in the past, this is NOT the primary thing at work.

The primary issue unfolding across our city is that with the housing projects being torn down, thousands of families are being displaced across gang lines. These gangs then renew turf battles. My 14, 15 and 16 year old sons cross these lines every day here on the way either to school or to our ministry.

Fatherlessness is undoubtedly a huge issue but to foist this off on gang leaders is to opt out of the issues created by racism, prejudice and the powers that be that created these urban ghettos and then rearrange them to suit the returning middle class. "Urban Renewal" is what it has been called here since the 1950s. "Negro Removal" is what it is known as in the neighborhood -- this is the violence source at the moment.

Where is the church?

Housing projects have turned out to be one of the most ill-conceived ideas of the 20th century. It doesn't matter what group of people you relegate to them and oppress with government "aid." It will always be a debacle at some point down the road. This is true. Relocating gang members is also a problem as has been well noticed since Katrina...