Here in Nevada, classic car enthusiasts have an annual celebration.  It's a gathering called "Hot August Nights," that brings owners and car aficionados together for a week of shows, auctions, and camaraderie in Reno, Nevada.  The event has traditionally ended with a grand parade on the last night.  But this year, the parade was canceled.  Why, because of the threat of gang violence!  (See: http://www.lvrj.com/news/9121521.html)

Isn't it time to stop this destructive gang nonsense?  Why do we live in a society that tolerates gangs?  What value are they?  What do they contribute to the general welfare that warrants giving them the special status to exist above the law?  How are they so powerful as to force a municipality like Reno, NV to cancel scheduled events?

Face it, gangs, that is, every gang, is nothing more than a criminal conspiracy.  At the lowest level, grade school and middle school gangs exist to extort money from fellow students, sell drugs, deface the community with graffiti, drink alcohol, commit burglaries, commit assaults, and otherwise break the law.  And, except for the rare instance where a gang member is actually caught in the act of committing a crime, nothing is done about it.  At higher levels, gangs are engaged in the "business" of murder, prostitution, sex slavery, heavy narcotics trafficking, and other violent crimes.

Isn't it time to stop gangs?

Don't believe those who say it can't be done.  It can.  Convictions and prison are not the answer.  In fact, some of the worst gangs today actually operate out of our prisons.  The way to stop gangs is to attack the groups, not the individuals.  The groups have mostly been identified, so that shouldn't be a problem.  Group meetings should be disrupted, and those in attendance should be forced to perform humiliating public service.  We have plenty of public restrooms that need to be cleaned, trash that needs to be picked up, and graffiti that needs to be removed.  It should be illegal to display any gang colors, emblems, tattoos, etc.  All gang marked items should be confiscated.  All persons with gang tattoos should be forced to have them permanently removed.   Any motor vehicle used in furtherance of gang activity, including going and coming from gang meetings, should be confiscated.  Warrants should be routinely issued to allow searches of gang members' homes and places of business, for evidence of illegal gang activities.  And, gang members in prison should be isolated from all other inmates and denied all privileges, including visitors and outside communications.

These are just a few of the measures I would adopt to stop the gangs.  This isn't rocket science, folks.  This is just plain old common sense.  The gangs can be stopped.  The only question is whether or not we are going to do it.