Posted on Fri, Feb. 24, 2006
Gang rivals declare peace in San Jose
THEY HUG EACH OTHER IN SYMBOLIC RALLY
By Rodney Foo
Mercury News
It was a rare day at San Jose City Hall's plaza. Former hard-core members of rival gangs -- once generals in the Mexican Mafia and Nuestra Familia -- took the microphone to publicly renounce the gang life and then hugged their sworn enemies.
The stunning sight was part of a movement by Victory Outreach -- a Christian group dedicated to helping broken families and keeping people away from drugs and gangs -- to declare a cease-fire among warring gangs in the city.
Robert Rios, a former Nuestra Familia member, said he wasn't so naive as to believe that Thursday's declaration would immediately bring peace, but he noted, ``It will plant a seed. . . . We know that some day soon kids will put down their weapons.''
The hope is that word of what happened at the plaza will filter back to gang chieftains in prison and create change, said Victory Outreach Pastor Ed Morales.
``If the prisoners hear about this and wonder what happened, then they'll start to know we declared a cease-fire and if they start to declare a cease-fire within the prison house then it comes down here on the streets, and then all young people on the streets will know that wearing red or wearing blue is not what's in no more,'' he said.
Thursday's dramatic ceremony drew more than 200 people who held placards reading, ``We believe in miracles'' and ``Alto A La Violence'' -- stop the violence. And they watched 13 former members of rival gangs, who had totaled about 200 years in state prisons, wrap their arms around each other like long-lost brothers.
Police Chief Rob Davis marveled at the rally designed to thwart gang membership.
``I've never seen as many former gang members publicly denounce gangs and give each other a hug. You don't see that every day. It's not normal. This is a really big deal,'' Davis said. ``For Victory Outreach to be able to get these individuals to come forward and do this is huge.''
Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez told the gathering San Jose needs a ``zero tolerance'' approach to gangs -- that losing one child to gangs or gang violence is unacceptable.
``For the work that you are doing, for those of you who have changed your lives,'' Chavez told Victory Outreach members, ``you will break a cycle that will never have to be in our children's lives. It's incumbent on each one of us to be part of breaking the cycle of violence and the connection to gangs.''
One former gang member who decided to break that cycle was 35-year-old Richard Chavez, who had once belonged to Nuestra Raza, an offshoot of the Nuestra Familia. Chavez admitted Thursday that he never thought he would embrace his gang enemies. ``But, the power of Jesus is overwhelming,'' he said.
He likened gang violence to terrorism and said many of its victims are innocent children. Chavez hoped Thursday's open declaration of a truce by former gangbangers would make a difference.
``We're stepping out of the boat,'' he said. ``We're proclaiming a cease-fire. Proclaiming it means we actually have the belief and faith that it's actually going to happen. We're taking a leap of faith.''
The rally ended with hundreds walking over to the Civic Auditorium on West San Carlos Street for a play, ``From the Bay,'' billed as a ``hip hopera'' about the corrosive effect gang life has on families and the community.
wut i say? ya'll dont even bang on each other******* :dead:
Gang rivals declare peace in San Jose
THEY HUG EACH OTHER IN SYMBOLIC RALLY
By Rodney Foo
Mercury News
It was a rare day at San Jose City Hall's plaza. Former hard-core members of rival gangs -- once generals in the Mexican Mafia and Nuestra Familia -- took the microphone to publicly renounce the gang life and then hugged their sworn enemies.
The stunning sight was part of a movement by Victory Outreach -- a Christian group dedicated to helping broken families and keeping people away from drugs and gangs -- to declare a cease-fire among warring gangs in the city.
Robert Rios, a former Nuestra Familia member, said he wasn't so naive as to believe that Thursday's declaration would immediately bring peace, but he noted, ``It will plant a seed. . . . We know that some day soon kids will put down their weapons.''
The hope is that word of what happened at the plaza will filter back to gang chieftains in prison and create change, said Victory Outreach Pastor Ed Morales.
``If the prisoners hear about this and wonder what happened, then they'll start to know we declared a cease-fire and if they start to declare a cease-fire within the prison house then it comes down here on the streets, and then all young people on the streets will know that wearing red or wearing blue is not what's in no more,'' he said.
Thursday's dramatic ceremony drew more than 200 people who held placards reading, ``We believe in miracles'' and ``Alto A La Violence'' -- stop the violence. And they watched 13 former members of rival gangs, who had totaled about 200 years in state prisons, wrap their arms around each other like long-lost brothers.
Police Chief Rob Davis marveled at the rally designed to thwart gang membership.
``I've never seen as many former gang members publicly denounce gangs and give each other a hug. You don't see that every day. It's not normal. This is a really big deal,'' Davis said. ``For Victory Outreach to be able to get these individuals to come forward and do this is huge.''
Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez told the gathering San Jose needs a ``zero tolerance'' approach to gangs -- that losing one child to gangs or gang violence is unacceptable.
``For the work that you are doing, for those of you who have changed your lives,'' Chavez told Victory Outreach members, ``you will break a cycle that will never have to be in our children's lives. It's incumbent on each one of us to be part of breaking the cycle of violence and the connection to gangs.''
One former gang member who decided to break that cycle was 35-year-old Richard Chavez, who had once belonged to Nuestra Raza, an offshoot of the Nuestra Familia. Chavez admitted Thursday that he never thought he would embrace his gang enemies. ``But, the power of Jesus is overwhelming,'' he said.
He likened gang violence to terrorism and said many of its victims are innocent children. Chavez hoped Thursday's open declaration of a truce by former gangbangers would make a difference.
``We're stepping out of the boat,'' he said. ``We're proclaiming a cease-fire. Proclaiming it means we actually have the belief and faith that it's actually going to happen. We're taking a leap of faith.''
The rally ended with hundreds walking over to the Civic Auditorium on West San Carlos Street for a play, ``From the Bay,'' billed as a ``hip hopera'' about the corrosive effect gang life has on families and the community.
wut i say? ya'll dont even bang on each other******* :dead: