the illegal immigration debate
In the backdrop of the illegal immigration debate, another debate rages on. The notorious El Salvadorian gang MS-13 has been in the media spotlight in recent months. Some see this criminal enterprise as a legitimate threat to the local communities in which they infest, while others believe that too much is being made of a situation to appease a political agenda. However, this is not a new problem for local communities in Northern Virginia as MS-13 has plagued local communities for at least nearly two decades. Is MS-13 a legitimate threat to local communities and the safety of its residents? Over time the numbers of MS-13 gang members have increased significantly as well as it’s criminal activity. Consequently, the residents of my community, as well as surrounding communities, live in fear as MS-13 has been responsible for several atrocious crimes such as murders, disappearances, sex trafficking, rapes, and drug trafficking, to name a few. Until recently little has been done to mitigate this threat to our local community as well as society.
There are many reasons as to why this is a kairotic moment to explore this ongoing debate. Until recently MS-13 activities were not widely reported in the media, or at least labeled as such. Although crimes such as homicides, rapes, drugs smuggling and other gang related activities were reported as they occurred, they were not connected to MS-13 therefore not much about this criminal enterprise had been known to the public. However, today MS-13 continues to grow larger and their crimes more horrific. As the illegal immigration debate rages on in the national spotlight and the Justice Department begins to act in arresting and deporting members of this organization, more information has surfaced through the media informing citizens in local communities about this evil entity that has been lurking within local communities.
This project will focus on the residents of my community and the surrounding communities. This target audience is chosen because they have the power to elect the right political officials through local elections that will take this issue seriously addressing the concerns of the residents of our communities. The crime rate in America is usually a reflection the local governments or a lack of effective local governance, as it is the responsibility of the state to deal with these local issues. Many citizens in America are fixated on national elections as opposed to their local communities. This information provided in this project will hopefully empower local citizens to get involved in the local elections of judges, city counsel, prosecutors, mayoral, and county sheriffs as these are the main effort within the policing of our local communities.
Actions such as increased law enforcement, new legislation and stiffer penalties for such crimes committed by gangs are desperately needed to mitigate the problems at hand and provide a safer environment for citizens. Such efforts by our elected officials and police departments could drastically reduce the number of gang related activity providing a safer environment for residents of communities in Northern Virginia. The alternative is a volatile environment leading to an ailing economy as local business, employment, and tax revenue are affected. The fear is that Northern Virginia becomes a Baltimore, Maryland or Detroit, Michigan with the record number of homicides.
As I continue my research for this project, I intend to primarily use the Internet, Newspapers, local news sources, the university’s online library, and peered reviewed journals. Using the Internet will help me find articles and basic background information on MS-13. As I began my research, I have found several online articles from Fox News detailing who MS-13 is, where they originated from, how long they have terrorized multiple communities throughout the country, and the level of atrocities that they have committed throughout its history. The local news historically had not been a great source of obtaining information on MS-13 until recently, as I have described above, in the backdrop of the illegal immigration debate. More information about this criminal enterprise has been brought to enter the stage through the media to inform local citizens of the staggering number (over 2000) in some local communities (Kessler) and the types of crimes committed by this entity. Additionally, using the university’s online library should prove to be very useful in obtaining sources such as peered reviewed journals and other types of literature, as well as newspapers and magazines. Although some may not take this issue as strongly as others, possibly because they do not understand the gravity of the situation, others realize that this issue requires urgent attention for the future of our communities and to provide a safe environment for our children.
Works Cited
Kessler, Glenn. “Are there more than 2,000 MS-13 gang membersin Virginia’s weathly Fairfax County?” The Washington Post (2017): 1.
Massimo, Rick. “MS-13: How a deadly gang gained strength in the DC area.” Washington’s Top News (2017): 1.
Massimo, Rick. “MS-13: How a deadly gang gained strength in the DC area.” Washington’s Top News (2017): 1.