Purrs 4 Peace Week 28: Ending Gangs Now

“The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it.” - Bill Cosby

Gang activity in a community brings a heavy human toll. But an often forgotten consequence of a gang in a community is the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals. As I have written about before, torture and killing animals is almost always a precursor to violence against human beings. Gang members are not different. Moreover, gangs are involved in organized animal cruelty. Animal fighting, has increasingly become a gang related activity. Like illegal drug trade, weapons trafficking, animal fighting is one of many gang activities that threaten families and neighborhoods.

When we take action against gangs, we bring peace to humans and animals alike.

So, take what's inside you and make big, bold choices. And for those who can't speak for themselves, use bold voices. And make friends and love well, bring art to this place. And make this world better for the whole human race.
-- Jamie Lee Curtis

This week let us purrrrrrrr boldly, purrrrr with love, purr for peace. Peace could be just one purrrrr away.

2:59 p.m. Get ready to Purrrrrrrr.

SET.

3:00 p.m.

Confucius Cat say: GO!

Purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr,

See your purrs as a powerful wave of light, filled with love, compassion, and kindness.

Purrrrr, purrrr,....See that wave of peaceful light spreading outward into the world....

Purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, ppurrrrinnnnnnnggggggg.

Where there is hate let it be turned to love, Where there is fear, let it be turned to compassion.

Purrrrrrr...Where there is ignorance, let it be turned to understanding.

Purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr,

Those who despair have hope, those who hate are filled with love

Purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrr, purrrrr, purrrrr....

Imagine all those enmeshed in gangs, set free to be happy, productive and loving humans.

Purrs 4 Peace Week 28 Announcement: LET'S GANG UP ON GANGS

“A team is where a boy can prove his courage on his own. A gang is where a coward goes to hide.” - Mickey Mantle

U.S. Government in its January 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment, there are approximately 1 million members belonging to various gangs in this country. As much as 80% of crime in many communities can be attributed to gang activity spanning from destruction of property to armed robbery, auto theft, drug trafficking, home invasion, gun violence and more. In fact, at least 65% of communities with populations of 100,000 or more experience gang related homicides.

And gang activity is not just in large cities anymore. Gangs are migrating from urban areas to suburban and rural areas for a many of reasons, including expanding drug distribution territories, increasing illicit revenue, recruiting new members, hiding from law enforcement, and escaping other gangs.

The conclusion of the Threat Assessment was that gangs pose a serious threat to the public safety in communities around the U.S.

There are a myriad reasons why young people join a gang, but chief among them are: poverty, peer pressure, boredom and hopelessness. It can be no surprise that the lack of inner peace and lack of peace in our world generates the conditions that create gangs. And then the gangs create more conditions of violence and unrest that beget more youth ripe for indoctrination. Clearly unrest begets unrest, chaos begets chaos, violence begets violence.

The good news is that Peace begets Peace. So this week we will purr to bring peace and harmony to our communities. We will purr to eradicate the blight that is gang violence.

Week 28 of Purrs 4 Peace details are as follows:

• Week twenty-eight’s appointed time is Sunday, December 20, 2009.
• Participants should purr for three minutes commencing at 3 p.m. EST (U.S.) which is 8:00 p.m. (20:00 hrs.) BST in the U.K.
• The cat’s human staff should assist their cats with the project by stroking and nuzzling the cat at the appointed time.
• Please post your cat name and the country you purr in at www.confuciuscat.blogspot.com as a COMMENT if you are participating in this historic project. (posting a link to your own website-if you have one-is encouraged.) Or let me know by message on twitter or facebook.
• Posting purrs on facebook ( Acolytes of Confucius Cat or as friend to Alley Mason) and twitter (@ConfuciusCat) is encouraged, since it inspires purring in others, but not required. On twitter please use #purrs4peace in your tweets.