New Documentary Explores Gang Violence
Excerpted from pbs.org:
The upcoming film, “Crips and Bloods: Made in America,” takes viewers to the Southern California neighborhoods where the notorious street gangs began. Through interviews with current and former gang members, director Stacy Peralta gives viewers an insider’s look into a 40-year-old conflict that has taken thousands of lives.Peralta explains that he was inspired to make “Crips and Bloods” after the 1992 civil unrest that resulted in the destruction of many South Los Angeles neighborhoods. Peralta set out 15 years later to answer the following question: “If affluent, middle-class white American teenagers were forming gangs, arming themselves with automatic weapons and killing one another, how would our country respond?” To say the film is a powerful statement is to put it mildly. Peralta documents a heart-wrenching story while leaving us hopeful.
The film will air locally (Ojai) on PBS station KCET 28, on Tuesday May 12 at 10pm.
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Comments (2)
My husband, 10 year old son and I saw this recently at the Ojai Playhouse. It's an excellent documetary. Even though there was some violent images we felt that the content/message was very important for our son to see and understand.
I suggest you all watch it if you can.
Comment #1 Posted by: Sunday | May 11, 2009 11:26 AM
“If affluent, middle-class white American teenagers were forming gangs, arming themselves with automatic weapons and killing one another, how would our country respond?”
This is a silly question that doesn't need to be asked because it is outside the realm of possibility. Take out "white" from that question, and the answer is within the question. With few exceptions, these gangsters do not have middle-class values (i.e. a work ethic, respect for parents, not bringing children into the world without a two-parent home and means to pay for them, etc.). The implied answer is that somehow if these gangsters were white, the country would respond and correct the problem; the same answer to this problem exists no matter the race, and that answer is uglier than the problem.
Comment #2 Posted by: Johnny Chingas | May 12, 2009 10:46 PM