No one wants to go from $100/hr to $8/hr
Make drugs legal to take away their high income drug job

To Sadfsf
Better $8/hr then 6 feet under. Enough of the "let's make drugs legal" dribble and let the police do their job. If the bad guys end up in jail they can all talk about how they were making $100/hr

This meeting cost how much money?

ONE of those gentlemen goes to prison and it's going to cost you $40,000. Never mind that in the process you might have some of your property damaged, or your property devalued, or worse, someone you love is killed.

GREAT JOB!!! You do need to take the money away from the dealers and the cartels somehow. It's been destroying neighborhoods, families, and whole segments of our country for too long. It's destroying OTHER countries!

Now, why is marijuana considered such a big bad evil? Other drugs? OK! Marijuana?? Really? Let's talk about the other real killers in society tobacco and alcohol. Someone selling marijuana is NOT worth $40,000 in jail per year! We've tried prohibitions on alcohol. These other drug pushers are the real reason that marijuana is still considered an evil.

What a great approach. Good job community service agencies, faith leaders, et al! If anyone questions the effectiveness of this approach, please read a great book called Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. Father Boyle is very compelling in telling the story that few if any of the young men and women in gangs really want to be there. Rather, life looks so bleak they see no alternative. It is very uplifting to hear of enlightened people in our community taking such positive action.

This program is a great idea. I hope it proves successful. Promising start that 9 of 11 signed up. Would be good to see follow up reporting on how these 9 progress: whether they stay with and complete the training and are ultimately able to land and keep a job.

Great program. I think the gang members should not just be targeted if they do not sign up, but also be targeted when they do sign up. They should be targeted not to fail this program for the long run. That means the gangs around them are targeted to not coerce them back into the life. That means their emotional intelligence and social intelligence are targeted for education so they have a chance to catch up. And their family's are targeted for coaching on how to support these potentially contributing members of society in this change in their lives.

It all depends on the definition of success for Operation Ceasefire.

The Code of The Street by Elijah Anderson has great insight regarding a social science look at the situation. This book focuses mostly on inner-city youth but is a great perspective for suburban youth as well.