Missionaries of the Sacred

Gangs inflict much harm on the human community, teaching and encouraging dehumanizing and unlawful behavior. They promote “socially irresponsible values, attitudes, and beliefs. Gangs harm our children, causing or contributing to “school failure, family disruption, drug addiction, arrest, incarceration, disease, pregnancy, permanent injury, and premature death”¹ among our young people.

Our Christian witness urges us to move forward to respond to the gang crisis in our nation. The United States must take seriously the plight of our youth today. Teenagers are injuring and killing teenagers. They are both the victims and perpetrators. Everyone shares the responsibil­ity to help our youth to grow in a moral, drug-free, non-violent and responsible society. Both the private and political sectors must make the welfare of our youth a priority. They must work together and support each other in efforts to respond to our youth from a moral perspective. Pliny the Elder stated that “What we do to our children, they will do to society.” We cannot ignore the present crisis with our young. If we desire our children to be of good moral character, to be non­violent and peacemakers, then we ourselves must be commit­ted to living these virtues. When we act in this way, our efforts will not be in vain.

1. Mike Carlie, Into the Abyss.