.mt6 .hm3 .h1Grayso Enterprise Ltd Firs N Seria Rights .h2Pag #. Copyrigh 1989 .h32,016 words FRANCE SANDOVAL:FOUNDE O MOTHER AGAINS GANGS Writte b Jun Grayson Photographe b Richar Grayson Yo notic firs ho smal sh i an ho gentle Sh move easil amon th adorin crowd Sh stop t embrac friend mothe whos so wa als victi o gan violence Sh i beautifu no onl physica beaut althoug sh ha tha to bu th inne glo o someon wh care passionatel abou other an neve tire o servin them. Sh i her i February 1989 t presen th award a th firs anniversar dinne meetin o th Aurora Illinois chapte o Mother Agains Gangs Mee France Sandoval th founde o Mother Agains Gangs an th leade o thi ne gras-root movemen tha som peopl sa ha alread broke th powe o gang i thei communities Sandoval bor i Chicag o Mexica parents founde Mother Agains Gang i 198 afte Chicag gan membe kille he 1 yea ol son O Januar 23 1985 Arthu Sandoval wh wa no gan member an frien foun th friend' younge siste talkin t gan member o schoo grounds figh bega whe sh attempte t leav th gan an g wit he brothe an Arthur Othe gan member egge o th actua killer a illega Mexica immigrant "G sta him sta him, the yelled Arthu ble t deat o th schoo lawn Eve thoug gan member identifie th killer th polic di no arres hi an h wen int hiding I wa no unti Sandova wen o loca radi statio an offere $1,00 rewar tha anothe informan cam forward Sandova wa i cour twelv time before th kille wa finall convicted No h i servin 3 yea sentenc fo murder " wa lucky, Sandova explains " kne m lega right an woul no giv u unti Arthur' kille wa brough t justice. He prolonge an painfu struggl sensitize he t th pligh o othe Chicag mother wh ha los childre t gan violence "Whe yo ar victi o gan violenc i Chicago, say Jess Gonzales th executiv directo o th Chicag offic o Mother Agains Gangs "yo ma no eve understan English Yo don' kno wha th la i an yo hav t g t court Th polic ma insinuat tha you so o daughte wa involve wit th gang an deserve th attack Thi i no alway th case Innocen peopl d suffer." Sandova ha hear abou MADD Mother Agains Drun Driving an sh though what' th difference gang ar killin ou childre jus lik drunke driver do Wit th donate servics o Antoni Curiel Chicago lawye an forme federa prosecutor an $4,70 gran fro th Nationa Cente fo Neighborhoo Enterprise Sandova organize Mother Agains Gang (MAG a noprofi Illinoi corporation "W wil d everythin possibl t sto thi senseles violenc befor mor o ou childre ar destroyed, Sandova says Sandova i prou tha sh successfull campaigne fo the enactmen o th Illinoi Saf Schoo Zon Act. This la permit juvenile t b trie a adult i the ar charge wit dru traffickin o usin weapon i schoo o withi 1,00 fee o school MA offer communit education suppor service t mother wh hav los childre t gan violenc and to mother wh hav childre i gangs an advocac throug th lega system. "MA member wil mee wit afflicte families suppor the emotionally an explai tha the hav th righ t deman tha th la b responsiv t thei needs, Jess Gonzale explains "W wil g int cour wit them translat fo them an provid communit pressur whe necessar t mak ou judicia syste fulfil it lega obligations. Sandova ha droppe ou o hig schoo t marr an hav thre children Afte he divorc eigh year late sh returne t schoo t ear he genera equivalenc degre an stud speec an communication a Chicago' Loo College Late sh worke a dat processor Spanis languag newspape employee cour interpreter an intercesso fo indigent throug th Lega Assistanc Foundatio o Chicago No sh i administrativ assistan t Jua Soliz Chicag alderma o th 25t Ward wh full support he MA activities MA ha ove 1,00 member i Chicag an tw mor chapter i Illinoi o i Auror an on i Sterling An Illinoi communit ma affiliat wit MA unde th sam stat charter Chicag als ha unaffiliate spi-offs Neighbor Agains Gang an Parent Agains Gangs Group wh wan t organiz i othe state mus adop thei ow stat charter a ha Hollywood Florida Afte loca Miam radi statio interviewe Sandova i 1987 Maria Cortes Hollywoo mothe concerne abou gang i he community visite Sandova t lear abou MAG Sh returne t Florid t organiz Hollywood' Neighbor Agains Gangs Sandova wil spea a specia meetin ther late thi spring Jan Fond Production plan televisio dram i whic Rit Moren wil pla th par o Sandoval Scrip writer have interviewe Sandoval Sandova retain consultin rights MA i no th firs communit organizatio t addres th proble o gan violence Concerne Parent o th Soleda Enrichmen Actio (SEA firs me sixtee year ag an ha grow t fiv location i th Lo Angele area The educate empower an enabl othe parent hel thei childre resis gan membership MA train mother ho t focu thei awesom power Sandova believe tha MA derive authorit fro th wor mother. "Everyon ha mother right Eve gan members Mos kid idoliz thei mothers Whe mother lear ho t shoulde responsibilities usin toug love an eve kickin kid ou o th hous i necessary the discove the ar n longe powerless, Sandova says MA insist tha parent mus cu of childre wh defiantl sta i gangs "W tel parent t ge gan kid ou o th house Don' fee them don' d thei laundry jus tel the t g bac o th streets, say Judit Maves curren presiden o th Auror MA chapter "MA let th polic an court kno tha w ar aware an mayb the wor harde fo us, observe Avi Miller immediat pas presiden o Auror MAG "W teac ou parents wh don' alway understan ou politica system tha th polic ar no th enemy W hav t supervis ou childre an no believ everythin the tel us. Accordin t Auror Polic Chie Rober Brent "MA i a excellen group the hav accomplishe lo i spit o limite resources an w full suppor them M officer tel m tha gan recruitmen i fallin of an tha som periphera gan member ma wan t leav th gangs MA ha tol ou communit ho destructiv gang are. Chie Bren believe tha eve som har-cor gan member ca b weane fro gang i encourage b family friends teachers an communit organization suc a MAG "Gang don' tak thi lightly The threate an th kid ar afraid Ye som kid hav escape th gang withou incident. Resident o Sterling Illinois populatio 16,000 woul no believ tha thei countr tow 20 mile wes o Chicag coul hav gan problem Th polic an cit administratio establishe gan tas forc i 1987 Accordin t Office Rober Honegge o th Sterlin police "Th earlie tha communit ca recogniz th proble an wor togethe t solv it th mor effectiv the ca be Mrs Sandova cam ou her tw times Sh motivate ou parent t ge involve an suppor th polic tas force Th parent wer abl t sho thei kid tha gan membershi wa dea end. Yo don' nee t star wit bi membershi t tur you communit around Rebecc Herrera Sterlin communit leade an firs presiden o th Sterlin MA chapte organize i 1988 says "Ou MA uni ha eigh t te wome wh d mos o th work bu almos everyon support ou activities The giv tim an money ac a chaperons an hel u pain ove graffiti W sa result righ away W le everyon kno tha w woul no give u ou childre t gangs W star wit th 5t an 6t graders becaus th gang recrui member firs i junio high I w ca protec ou kid unti the ge i hig school the ca d somethin constructiv wit thei lives. Gan problem i bi citie suc a Chicag see insolvable Chicag ha ha gang fo fort years Th Chicag Polic Departmen Gang Crim Uni estimate tha mor tha 12 gang wit 12,00 member operat i th city Lik a infectiou disease gang sprea t Chicago' "collar cities suc a Aurora i th earl 1980 an t th countrside b 1985 Dr Feli Padilla o Puert Rica heritage i professo o sociolog an directo o th Cente fo Hispani Researc a DePau University Chicago H says "Th increas i stree gangs drugs an violenc ma al relat t ne economi phenomenon th shuttin ou o ou ghett yout fro th labo market Th disappearanc o factor an laborin job lef million o previousl har-workin American permanentl unemployed Gang functio a a alternativ employe an undergroun economy. Som gan member ca escap th gang eve toda an g t college "The hav athleti abilit o the wer luck enoug t hav carin hig schoo counselor, say Dr Richar Martin hea o th departmen o crimina justic a Auror University "I i no agains th la t belon t gang, Sandova says "Chicag ha alway ha gangs bu th wanto killin di no begi unti th 1960s A ove concer fo juvenil right sen wron messag t th gangs The kne tha the coul li an ge awa wit anythin i ou courts Onl tw t te fo someone' lif an the the wer bac o th streets No th wor i ou b careful yo kil bystande an tha mean 3 years. Sandova believe i th deat penalt fo th mos heinou o gan crimes "Th tim i rip fo signa fro ou court tha ou communitie wil n longe tolerat thi behavior Th judge shoul hav n alternat bu t invok th deat penalt fo th mos unspeakabl crimes Peopl hav t understan tha gan violenc i no jus casua arso an manslaughter I i th destructio o entir families I i terroris agains th whol community I coul b th obliteratio o ou civilization. Angel D Marco superviso o th Nort Centra Illinoi Narcoti Tas Force says "Onl on countr i th worl toda ha mad den i th dru problem I Malaysia the immediatel han anyon caugh dealin drugs Ou judicia syste i s overburdene tha th punishmen n longe fit th crime Ou politica syste wil eventuall hav t respon t gras-root communit organization suc a MAG i i jus questio o time. Thousand o childre al ove Americ ar victim o gan violence Thousand o mother wee bitte tears France Sandova transforme he persona pai int constructiv action "Whe yo kno i you hear yo ar right yo hav t figh fo wha need t b done n matte wha th cost I i tha simple, Sandova says "I m childre ha no bee ther fo me i m famil ha no bee ther fo me ther woul b n France Sandova toda an n Mother Agains Gangs " remembe ho i wa befor Arthu died M thre childre woul wai outsid fo m car The the woul com runnin t mee m an woul smile "Thre month afte th murder pulle int m driveway M othe son onl te year old cam runnin out H sai oh Mommy yo ar smilin an yo haven' smile a m sinc Arthu died though oh m God hav deprive m son wh i als hurtin an missin hi brother o eve hi mother' smile #######