Bouncer, Have you ever seen Extreme Makeover Home Edition?

[Bouncer]

I see your point, for sure. I would just think that every waking moment they were thinking off a way to get out. And maybe they do, there just any good options. IDK, I guess I am just far enough removed from that situation (thank god) that it doesn't register...

ya, i think many of them do. i think many of them see drugs as a way out. they sell them make some money, then human nature kicks in and they get greedy and get busted or killed. plus they know once they move away, how are they going to make money then. many of them are very lazy. they don't want to do Manuel labor which is the only thing they would be qualified for. i have never understood the lazy part. you would think being born into a life like that, you would be a hard worker. maybe someone smarter then I can explain it.

[Puddles]

I'm getting some serious insight into that other side of life right now. We've got temporary custody of my daughter's friend due to abuse. The family is originally from Puerto Ricco (no father in the picture) and the abuse, neglect, poverty, drugs, gangs, etc. goes hand in hand most of the time. The girl's mother worked hard and got an excellent education and now has money and lives in a beautiful house in my community, however the situations she dealt with as a child continued to screw up her life well into her adulthood which has affected her child of course. She is now going to therapy and the girl starts this week. It's going to take a lot of therapy and patience for the girl to get a grip on her life. I've had to talk her out of suicide twice already, once fought her to take a knife away from her as she was about to kill herself. Thank God her boyfriend is understanding that it's going to take time for her to heal.

The girl we're taking care has a boyfriend who lives in that other side of life. His mother works at an amusement park so on Saturdays they go there because they can get in and eat for free. Her boyfriend lives with his dad and it's depressing. He doesn't have food at home most of the time but usually finds a friend's house to eat at for dinner. He rides his bike over here to visit the girl every weekend...it's a 20 mile ride! He just turned 16 and already fathered a child when he was 14 to an older girl.

I drove the girl over to his house on his birthday to surprise him...he was just sitting at home with his dad who didn't do anything special for his birthday, not even a happy birthday wish. He plans on going into the military so he can get an education. He sees what he can have if he works for it but he's also having to deal with gang association at the same time.

If you want to read what this life is about there are some great books out there. "Once a King, Always a King: The Unmaking of a Latin King" describes ganglife, how difficult it is to get out of it, and the success once it's done.

Beginning of the book...

And the gangs don't just thrive in the poor neighborhoods...they are all over including the more upscale communities, just like the maffia.

[njjuicer]

i saw the show it was pretty good yea camden is gangsta as hellt hough worst city in america lol good ol jersey i got a good friend who lives down there and the shit you see on the streets is like ina movie pretty wild

[NYCmitch25]

^lol

Whos crack house did the make over? Camdens a mother f'ing shit hole... what a waste.