Winning the war in Iraq could potentially be easier than originally thought. Not only would victory be ensured, but the solution would also offer hope and peace to many metropolitan areas across the country. The solution is rather simple; conscript our nation's urban warfare experts, the gangs.
What group of individuals better knows how to wage urban guerilla warfare? What group knows how to best enforce their ways and reign over a given territory? What group shows no fear and will never back down in the face of a threat? Yes, our own military is the answer to all of these questions, but so are our gangs. They know all about blending in with their surroundings, surprise attacks, and defending their territory.
Getting the gangs to sign on to the idea should not be too difficult of a task. As known gang members are rounded up they are given a simple choice: Life in prison or a four year term of service in the military after which they start anew with a cleaned up record. There will certainly be some who would rather opt for a life in prison as opposed to giving "The Man" any of their time and effort, even if it would improve their overall well being in the end. Most others though would probably jump at the chance for a clean record at the end of a four year tour of duty. Nobody would want to hire a known gang member and possible street murderer, but who wouldn't hire a distinguished war veteran who has proven themselves on the battlefield? Concerned about those who have been convicted of murder and other heinous acts of violence against our society? Consider their four year tour a training time in which their time is served while they are molded into better men and women for tomorrow's world.
In the beginning there would undoubtedly be concerns over rival gangs still going after each other once they are conscripted. A no tolerance policy would have to be enforced in which small acts of aggression towards each other would result in loss of meals, loss of personal time, long term detention and isolation coupled with extending time onto their tour for each act. The outright killing of another gang soldier would result in all associated parties going directly to a military detention camp while awaiting trial, and if found guilty, everyone would be sent to prison with no chance of release and no chance of a clear record. This should help to not only minimize such acts of internal aggression towards each other but also to minimize the gangs reforming within their military unit as the punishment for assisting or overlooking another member's acts could cause one to receive the same punishment as the individual committing the crime itself.
Getting members of individual gangs to cooperate with each other is the first step in "deprogramming" some of the gang mentality and getting them to become fully functional members of a military unit. As gang ties are generally strong, then the ensuing ties with their units, or new "gang" so to speak, should also be strong. This transition in the way of thinking will most likely not take long with the militaries rigid structure and way of life.
Now that the gangs are functioning as a larger, cooperative gang unit, it's time to send them to the front. Now car bombs and sniper attacks can be fought with drive by shootings and alley fights. Hand to hand combat? No problem for the gangs. Our soldiers today are helping to win the indigenous population's children with toys and chocolate. Our new gang soldiers can also work on employing the tactics they use to get our own children to join them. Now we have not only won the hearts of the local children, but have worked on taking those same children who would be picking up a sniper's rifle against our troops and put them to work infiltrating our opposition and possibly then turning that same sniper's rifle back in the other direction.
In the mean time, the streets of America would become cleaner and safer. There would be less gang violence with less gang members. Fewer drive by shootings. There is even the potential of a decline in the sale of drugs throughout the land. Further decreases could be made by including known drug dealers, not directly associated with any gang, into the same category as gang members and conscript them as well.
This idea is certainly more of a wishful idea for a perfect world than a practical reality. However, it is many times that these fantastical ideas and impractical wishes help to spawn parts of new and more practical thinking. Ideas which can be implemented within the real world. It is with these hopes that new ways of thinking and problem solving may be spawned from thoughts and writings such as these.
