Shvag Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Deandre, or "Dre," as he is known to his friends, is 20 years old. He was kicked out of high school during his junior year because of fighting. He has been a part of the Tongan Crip gang or "T" gang since he was 14 years old. He joined shortly after leaving his great-grandparents' home, where he had lived from age 11. "I joined the gang to make my name well known and do something," he said. "Just make my name known somewhere." Dre's role in the gang largely consisted of fighting rival gang members, which often brought him home bloody and bruised. "There's a lot of things that go on being in a gang. If you ready to live that life, then you better prepare because it ain't easy. It ain't easy," he said. "You got to be wise out here. You got to have your eyes peeled out here -- because you will be gone off this earth, quick, in a hurry. Anybody can shoot me down today." Although Dre still considers himself part of the gang, he has distanced himself somewhat, ceased fighting and is attempting to find a job and further his education. "It wasn't really one event that made me change my mind," he said about his decision to get out of the gang lifestyle. "It was basically that I just decided all the things I did wasn't making no sense. So it was going to be me continue to do that and not go nowhere or me stepping up and trying to be a man, and trying to do something for my family, and trying to do something positive." When it comes to doing something positive, Dre has no shortage of suggestions. "I'm multitalented. I can do anything. I can draw. I can cook. I can fix things," he said. "I'm good with playing video games. I'm good just doing anything." Dre has never been shot or arrested and has no criminal record. "You just think that because I'm a gang-banger and from the 'hood I just want to shoot somebody," he said. "That's not the case. That's not the case. People care out here about their safety and about their lives." Dre wants to "make money" and "open a business," possibly a restaurant. He loves to cook and his specialty is soul food, including chicken and macaroni and cheese. But his ambitions aren't purely personal. "I want to help people," he said. "I want to show people that can come through the 'hood and do anything in the 'hood that you did, bad or good. You can make it." For the gang violence to end, Dre said, all it comes down to is being given the chance to succeed. "The crime will calm down if you all give my people opportunities," he said. "That's all I got to say. Give people some opportunities out here. Don't knock them because of who they are or how they dress or how they look. 'Cause there's people way worserer than I am out here. "People don't even got nowhere to live, nobody to depend on," he added. "Hell, they don't even have nobody to even look out for them. There's people out there like that. But the people that's trying to do something, they's trying to do right, trying to change their life. Give them a chance." Full article. Link to comment
Shvag Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 16 hours ago, reed19xx said: 12 hours ago, Chinatown said: 11 hours ago, dumbydasexy said: It's been almost a year. Welcome back. 3 Link to comment
reed19xx Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 (edited) Edited February 22, 2021 by reed19xx 4 Link to comment
Rokas Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 10 hours ago, Chinatown said: Glad to see you back homeboy! 1 Link to comment
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