"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."
- Proverbs 1:10-11 A major factor in the proliferation of young thugs and street gangs is the absence of male leadership in the home. The fathers are not there to raise their sons to be well adjusted, hard working, responsible members of society so they gravitate towards their local gangster club to find their "role" in the world. The father's job is to instruct, love, warn, and discipline his son so that when he (or she as there is also an increase in female gangs) is confronted with the temptation to join sinners in their evil pursuits the young man will have enough character to say an emphatic NO and separate himself from anyone who seeks to direct evil into his life. The child will know that his daddy is the example he needs to follow, and the provider of wisdom he needs for living. "My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood."
- Proverbs 1:15-16 This is the advice that every boy needs to hear from his father before his tenth birthday; then it must be repeated in expanded form in his 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th year each time showing him the consequences of associating with evil men. By the time the boy turns 15 he should have had his first part-time job earning a steady pay check whether it be mowing someone's lawn, clearing a field, or painting a house; some income producing skill should be afforded him in his early teens.
A good father will teach his son to value and protect the lives of his relatives, neighbors, and friends, not seek to end some body's life. The average gang member will either end up in prison or dead, most likely before his 25th birthday. Once a young man gets caught up in a life of gangsterism he will find it is difficult to break away from his gang because of the oath of loyalty he was required to take when he joined the gang. His world view will become distorted especially if he has abused narcotics while in the gang.
The responsible father may take his sons to speak with police officers to let them know that they are not their enemy. He wants to know who they have as "buddies" and what activities they are involved with. Last, but not least, he must pray with his sons and ask God to give them wisdom beyond their years and Divine protection that they might grow up strong and godly in the midst of a wicked generation. Gentlemen, if your son is more than five years old and you haven't yet started his anti-gang training, today is a good day to begin! Good fathers represent the solution to this problem.
No gang can substitute the bond that will be formed from a loving father spending time with his son doing constructive things.
