We can't get at crime unless we know what language it speaks. Otherwise, we are just suppressing the cough, not curing the disease.
Greg BoyleRead
The idea that any law enforcement agency or person would ever know these gang members better than Homeboy Industries is impossible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Homeboy Industries has a deep understanding of gang members that surpasses external perceptions.
Greg Boyle emphasizes the unique relationship and understanding that Homeboy Industries has with gang members, suggesting that no outside authority or law enforcement can comprehend the complexities of their lives and experiences as well as the organization dedicated to helping them. This highlights the importance of community and connection in addressing social issues.
Themes
CommunityUnderstandingGangPerceptionLaw EnforcementRelationshipSupport
In practice
Example use cases
During a community meeting discussing gang prevention.
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Relapse happens, especially when you're dealing with folks who are frankly the least likely to succeed based on their own pasts and difficulties. We can work with the most likely to succeed. I'm not interested in that.
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We ought not to demonize a single gang member, and we ought not to romanticize a single gang.
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Anyone who knows gangs knows that lawmakers cannot conceive of a law that would lead a hard-core gang member to 'think twice.'
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Homeboy Industries has chosen to stand with the 'demonized' so that the demonizing will stop; it stands with the 'disposable' so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.
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