.mt6 .hm3 .h1Grayso Enterprise Ltd Firs N Seria Rts. .h2Pag #. Copyrigh 1989 .h31,71 words FRANCE SANDOVAL:FOUNDE O MOTHE AGAINS GANGS Writte b Jun Grayson Photographe b Richar Grayson "Mother hav t ge toug wit gangs, France Sandova say. "A mother wh hav los childre t gan violence w mus joi togethe t eradicat gang fro ou neighborhood an giv ou childre th righ t liv ful an fruitfu lives." Yo notic first ho smal sh i an ho gentle Yo hav t liste carefull becaus sh speak s softly Sh smiles Sh laughs Sh stop t hu frien mothe whos so wa als victi o gan violence Sh i beautifu - no onl physica beaut, though sh ha tha to - bu th radian beaut o someon wh care passionatel abou other an neve tire o servin them. Sh make yo believ agai tha th ol religiou virtue stil operat i ou worl toda. Sh prove tha on person ca indee, mak difference. Wh i France Sandova an wh i sh th wa sh is? Perhap yo hav alread hear som o th story Sandova youn Hispani mother forme Mother Agains Gang i 198 afte he 1 yea ol so wa brutall murdere i broa dayligh i fron o Chicag school. He subsequen struggl fo justic sensitize he t th pligh o othe mother wh ha los childre t gan violenc Th killer Chicag gan member wa caugh whe Sandova went o loca televisio an offere $1,00 reward H i no servin 3-yea sentenc fo th crime. " wa lucky though, Sandova explains " kne m lega right an wa determine no t giv u unti Arthur' kille wa foun an brough t justice." Sandova qui hig schoo t ge marrie an hav thre children. Afte he divorce sh returne t schoo t ge her genera equivalenc degree stud communication i college an g o t d communit work Sh kne he wa aroun Chicago' neighborhoods Yo migh almos thin tha fat wa preparin he fo he subsequen tasks "I th mids o m ow suffering me al o thes othe sufferin mother wh ha n on t tel the thei right an hel the afte thei childre becam gan victims. " ha hear abou MAD, Mother Agains Drun Drivin, an though - ther i n difference ou childre ar victim too. Wit donate lega hel an gran fro neighborhoo organization Sandova organize Mother Agains Gang by modelin it charte an bylaw o thos o MADD "Ou goa i no t asses blame bu t hel ste thi senseles violenc befr mor o ou childre ar destroyed, Sandova says. MA activitie consis o communit education suppor service t mother wh hav los childre t gan violenc a wel a mother wh hav childre i gangs an advocac throug th lega syste. Sandova i prou tha MA helpe i th successfu campaig fo th passag o th Illinois Saf Schoo Zon Act th la tha permit juvenile t b trie a adult i they'e charge wit dru traffickin o usin weapon i schoo o withi 1,00 fee o schoo. I 198 Th Christia Scienc Monito publishe lon new stor abou Sandoval. Othe paper an wir service picke i up Las yea th Chicag Tribun publishe twelv pag stor i it Sunda Magazin sectio abou he an th wor o Mother Agains Gang. Thi year Nanc d lo Santos fil producer plan t mak televisio movi fo CB o locatio i Chicago. Rit Moren wil pla th rol o Sandoval Sandova retain consultin rights MA no ha 1,00 member i Chicag an tw mor chapter i Illinoi on i Auror an on i Sterlin-Roc Falls. Gang activit i increasin i suburba areas. Ther i n plac t hide. Peopl i othe state ma for thei ow organization o Mother Agains Gangs Ther hav bee spi-off eve i Chicag Neighbor Agains Gang an Parent Agains Gangs Othe communitie invit Sandova t spea a thei organizationa meetings Sh ha bee invite t spea i Florida whic als seeks t reduc it gan problems. MA i no th firs communit organizatio t addres th proble o gan violence Accordin t Siste Leticia lso a Hispani an th coordinato o SE Soleda Enrichmen Actio this organizatio ha existe fo sixtee year an ha grow t fiv location i th Lo Angele area The see t educate empower an enabl concerne parent hel thei childre resis gan membership Accordin t th Lo Angele Times la-enforcemen official sa thes group hav helped t reduc gan violenc i Eas Lo Angeles. Sandova credit th succes o MAG t th powe o th word mother "Ever on ha mother right Eve gan members And mos kid lov thei mothers Whe mother lear ho t assum thei responsibilities usin toug love an eve kickin thei kid ou o th hous i necessary the fin ou tha the hav mor powe tha the eve realized." Ar organization suc a MAG reall effectiv o ar w jus engagin i wishfu thinking Newspape headline sa tha th dru problem wil ge wors befor the ge better Government allo eve mor mone t la enforcemen an dru control Civilizatio i fragil gun abound an lif i cheap. Accordin t Angel D Marco membe o th Illinoi Stat Polic an superviso o th Nort Centra Illinoi Narcoti Tas Force " kno o onl on countr i th worl toda tha ha mad den i th dru problem I Malaysia anyon caugh dealng drug i immediatel hung. "Ou judicia syste toda i overburdened, continue D Marco "s yo hav ple bargainin an negotiations Th punishmen n longe fit th crime Th polic ca onl d s much. "Ye anythin no par o th proble ha t b par o the solution S MAG ha t b effective Whe yo don' hav mone o power yo hav t hav people An peopl i wha organization suc a MAG ca provide, D Marc says. "Wha d politician want The wan t b r-elected Ho d yo thin judg wil ac whe h face 50 gri an determine mothers Ou politica syste wil respon t communit involvemen whe i ha to i i jus functio o time" Dr Feli Padilla professo o sociolog a D Pau Universit an Directo o th Cente fo Hispani Research i studyin Chicag stree gang an th relationshi betwee gang an dru dealing H say tha h i collectin dat an wil no b abl t reac an conclusion o mak recommendation fo tw t fou years However h make th followin preliminar observations "Th increas i stree gangs th dru dealings an th increase violence ma al b relate t ne economi phenomenon: th shuttin ou o ou ghett yout fro th labo market Alway befor i ou country' history th lowl an dispossesse hav bee abl t wor themselve u th economi ladde an ou int th mainstrea o society W ar observin th rea downwar mobilit o th workin class Th disappearanc o factor an laborin job ha lef million o previousl har-workin American permanentl unemployed Peopl hav los th job tha gav thei live dignit an meanin an tha enable the t rais family. "M fathe di wel i hi job, continue Padilla "H drov deliver truc t O'Har Airpor fo twent years tol tha t gan membe interviewed H sai ther ar n job lik tha fo u anymore. "Thes kid aren' dumb The kno tha i man case ther i nothin ou ther fo them I tha respect th gang functio a a alternativ employe and undergroun economy." I ther an hop tha th situatio wil change "I w ca pu peopl int oute space w ough t b abl t thin o wor tha need t b don here, Padill answers. Accordin t Dr Richar Martin hea o th departmen o crimina justic a Auror University Aurora som gan member escap th gang eve today "The mak i ou throug athleti abilit o the wer luck enoug t hav hig schoo counselo wh care abou them The tel m tha the ar abl t retur t thei ol neighborhood t visi an th gang don' bothe them The fee tha the hav earne som respec fro thei forme gan brother becaus the wer abl t ge out O course ther i n plac fo the i thei ol neighborhoods." Thousand o childre al ove Americ hav bee th victim o gan violence Thousand o mother hav wep an ar still weepin bitte tears Ho wa Sandova abl t transmut her persona pai int constructiv action? "I m childre ha no bee ther fo me i m famil ha no bee ther fo me, explain Sandoval "ther woul b n France Sandova toda an n Mother Agains Gangs. "Man Hispani wome hav n support wa fortunate als ha m pries wh wa m psychologist m psychiatrist m everything On ha t dea wit th unbearabl pai an the overwhelmin guilt. "Peopl hav t understan tha gan violenc i no jus simpl manslaughte an murder I i th destructio o entir familie an terroris agains th entir communit indee agains th entir country. " remembe s clearl ho i wa befor Arthu wa murdered. M thre childre woul si o th fron step an wai fo m ca t driv up The the woul comin runnin t mee m an woul smile. "Thre month afte Arthur' murder pulle u an parke m car M othe son wh wa the te year old cam runnin ou an h sai oh Mommy yo ar smiling yo haven' smile a m sinc Arthu died An though oh m God hav deprive m so wh i als hurtin an missin hi brother, o eve hi mother' smile. "Whe yo kno i you hear yo ar right yo hav t figh fo wha need t b done I i tha simple." #####